ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what records the Electoral Commission holds of donations by Catz Club to the  (a) Labour Party and  (b) Labour-related regulated donees.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has received one report of a donation by Catz Club to the Labour Party of £7,500 reported as accepted on 27 June 2008. No other donations from Catz Club have been reported to the Commission by the Labour Party or any regulated donee.

Policy Development Grant

Nick Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how the policy development grant is uprated each year; and whether the allocation of policy development grant will be  (a) cut or  (b) frozen if yearly retail price index inflation is negative.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that section 12 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000) limits the policy development grant to an annual sum of £2,000,000. The amount of grant is not linked to the retail price index. However, the Act does allow for the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Treasury, to vary the annual amount.

Political Parties: Finance

Nick Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what plans the Electoral Commission has to revise its guidance on regulated donees following recent decisions by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is currently reviewing the implications of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision in December 2008, not to bring charges in a case referred by the Commission to the Metropolitan Police.
	Pending the outcome of that review, the Commission believes that the guidance it has issued on the reporting obligations of regulated donees remains valid. The Commission will consider whether it is necessary to revise its guidance when it has completed the review and has agreed with Government what steps, if any, are needed to clarify the legal requirements on the reporting of donations by regulated donees.

TRANSPORT

A14: Kettering

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the detailed plans for the widening of the A14 between junctions 7 and 9 around Kettering will be made available for public consultation.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency is carrying out a detailed assessment of proposals to widen the A14 between junctions 7 and 9 at Kettering to dual three-lane standard within the highway boundary. A public information exhibition on the widening plans is expected to be held in autumn 2009.

Airports: Police

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the policing costs for  (a) East Midlands airport,  (b) Humberside airport and  (c) Bournemouth airport was met by the airport owners in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under section 25 of the Aviation Security Act 1982, there are only nine airports where the owners are required to pay for dedicated policing costs: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Stansted, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, Glasgow Prestwick, Birmingham and Manchester. The extent to which airport operators at non-designated airports contribute towards policing costs is a private commercial matter for the parties involved.
	Part 6 of the Policing and Crime Bill proposes that all airport operators should be required to meet the costs of any dedicated policing where they have agreed these with the Chief Officer of Police and police authority for the area.

Aviation: Finance

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what oversight his Department has over the allocation and use of  (a) route development funds and  (b) other sources of support for air services.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A regional body wishing to establish a route development fund to provide start-up aid for new air services will be expected to sign up to the Department's Protocol governing the operation of such funds. The Protocol has been published on the DfT website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/domestic/anationalprotocol forukrouted2873
	An air route on which a Public Service Obligation (PSO) has been imposed may be eligible for subsidy under the rules set out in Regulation EC 1008/2008. Any application to impose a PSO must be approved by the Secretary of State.
	Any other proposals to provide funding for air services must take account of European guidance on the use of State aid. Any resulting State aid notification to the European Commission must be cleared by the Department.

Aviation: Standards

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's practice is with regard to the monitoring of  (a) seat availability,  (b) pricing and  (c) competitive behaviour of individual airlines.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. A European airline which meets the necessary safety and financial fitness requirements may operate without Government oversight of its seat availability or prices. In the European Union, airlines are of course subject to competition law as overseen by the competition authorities.

Biofuels

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of biofuel produced from used cooking oil;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to encourage production of fuel from used cooking oil.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation requires suppliers of fossil fuel to ensure that a proportion of the fuel they supply is renewable fuel. Under the scheme biodiesel made from waste cooking oil is an eligible renewable fuel.
	The Renewable Fuel Agency administers the scheme and their January quarterly report summarises data on fuel supplied between April and October 2008. This report indicates that used cooking oil made up 3 per cent. (22 million litres) of the biofuel supplied over this period to meet the obligation. Their report is available on the RFA website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/.

Cars: Sales

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many sales of  (a) petrol- and  (b) diesel-fuelled cars there were in each of the last three financial years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers (in thousands) of petrol and diesel-fuelled cars newly registered in Great Britain in each of the last three financial years were as follows:
	
		
			   Financial year 
			  Fuel type  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Diesel 900 910 978 
			 Petrol 1,501 1,435 1,392 
		
	
	These data include all cars that have been newly registered in each financial year and will, therefore, include vehicles that have been imported into Great Britain during this time.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department and its agencies provide for staff.

Geoff Hoon: None.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that temporary and permanent employees of his Department employed at the same grade receive the same hourly rate of pay.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 1004-05W.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Geoff Hoon: In total £14,070 has been spent within the Department for Transport on staff reward and recognition schemes. This is broken down per year as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 6,262 
			 2007-08 6,433 
			 2008-09 (to date) 1,375

Departmental Telephone Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what use  (a) his Department and  (b) service providers under contract to his Department make of (i) 0844 and 0845 telephone numbers and (ii) revenue-sharing telephone numbers for calls from members of the public; for which services such numbers are used; what prefixes are used for revenue-sharing numbers; how much revenue has accrued from revenue-sharing numbers in each of the last five years; what consideration his Department has given to introducing 03-prefixed telephone numbers for calls to all such services; and if he will make a statement.  [Official Report, 12 March 2009, Vol. 489, c. 11MC.]

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport and its Executive agencies operate three 0845 numbers and one 0844 number. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency uses 0870 revenue-sharing numbers to provide access to nine public services. Information about these is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Number  DfT or agency  Purpose  Revenue (yes/no) 
			 0845 877 0877 DfT Freight Best Practice helpline providing free information to promote operational efficiency No 
			 0845 750 4030 HA Motorway and trunk road information line No 
			 0845 600 5977 VOSA Garages hotline for checking MOT standards No 
			 0844 800 0819 VCA Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment helpline No 
			 0870 240 0009 DVLA Allows the public to ask general driving licence inquiries Yes 
			 0870 240 0010 DVLA Allows the public to ask general vehicle inquiries Yes 
			 0870 600 0301 DVLA Allows the public to ask advice about health conditions and their effect on driver licensing Yes 
			 0870 241 1878 DVLA Allows vocational drivers to seek advice regarding driver licensing Yes 
			 0870 850 4444 DVLA Allows the licensing of vehicles over the telephone Yes 
			 0870 850 0007 DVLA Allows customers to access information on DVLA's local office network Yes 
			 0870 608 0604 DVLA 'Continuous registration' fine payment line Yes 
			 0870 850 2963 DVLA Helpline for customers using our online driving licence service Yes 
			 0870 850 1074 DVLA Allows customers to seek advice on the use of Smart Tachographs Yes 
		
	
	Revenue information from the DVLA services is only available since January 2005. The figures are shown by calendar year.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005 2,130,881 
			 2006 2,328,307 
			 2007 3,329,794 
			 2008 3,047,304 
		
	
	In addition, the Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency have recently switched from 0870 to 0300 numbers for calls made to their contact centres. Revenue information about these is set out as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   DSA  VOSA 
			 2004-05 706,399 10,386 
			 2005-06 693,254 63,400 
			 2006-07 623,284 72,400 
			 2007-08 672,048 78,600 
			 2008-09 (1)208,512 (2)52,000 
			 (1) DSA switched to 0300 line on 31 October 2008. (2) VOSA switched to 0300 line on 30 September 2008. 
		
	
	Consideration is currently being given to switching to 0300 numbers for the Freight Best Practice helpline and for the Highways Agency Information Line. DVLA had intended moving to 0300 numbers in line with Ofcom recommendations prior to the retraction of the Ofcom paper on use of 0870 numbers. Preparations to move to 0300 are still in place, once the Ofcom paper and recommendations are republished.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The Government Car and Despatch Agency does not routinely record the details of individual journeys made by cars allocated to Ministers.

Driving Offences: Fixed Penalties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many appeals were made to traffic adjudicators against fixed penalty notices in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: This information is not collected centrally by the Government, but the available figures for the number of appeals made against the issuing of penalty charge notices and the number of appeals upheld for each local authority are set out in the annual reports of the traffic adjudicators: the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS) for London, and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) for outside London.
	The reports of the PATAS are available at:
	www.parkingandtrafficappeals.gov.uk.
	The reports of the TPT are available at:
	www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk.

Driving Tests: Motorcycles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons his Department decided to implement the new motorcycle test on 30 March 2009; and  (a) how many and  (b) what percentage of multi-purpose test centres will be operational from that date.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The new motorcycle test was due to be implemented on 29 September in accordance with the EU directive 2000/56/EC. However, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) recognised that having 38 multi-purpose test centres (MPTCs) operational at the launch of the new test would mean candidates in significant parts of Great Britain would not have the expected access to a MPTC. 58 per cent. of the population would have been able to reach a MPTC within 45 minutes travelling time. Following consideration of representations from motorcycle interest groups, DSA decided to defer implementation for six months to allow consideration of delivery options which might help with the number of locations to offer the test when it was launched.
	Since then we have been consulting on a modular approach to practical motorcycle testing. If adopted, DSA will split the off-road from the on-road part of the test.
	By 30 March, DSA will have in place up to 67 operational sites including part-time and temporary sites for the off-road elements. In addition, there are outstanding planning approvals or legal negotiations on a further five sites that the Agency hopes to have ready in time. Not all of these sites are MPTCs. We will have operational sites in 94 per cent. of the original 66 search areas. This means that 89 per cent. of the population could reach a motorcycle testing site within 45 minutes travelling time. DSA will have 104 locations delivering the on-road test.

Driving Tests: Motorcycles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the maximum distance learner drivers and motorcyclists should have to travel from their homes in order to take their driving tests.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) on 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1298W.

Great Western Railway

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the time frame is for the construction of a connection between the Great Western main line and Heathrow Airport from Bristol and the west country.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport announced on 15 January 2009 that it will work with the airport operator and Network Rail to consider schemes that provide better connections from Heathrow airport to the Great Western main line while maximising the effectiveness of scarce railway paths. Until this work is concluded, it is not possible to determine potential timescales for construction of such schemes nor the destinations which would be served.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what additional risks have been added to the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register since 9 October 2007; and what the  (a) inherent risk,  (b) measures in place,  (c) residual risk,  (d) status and  (e) further action are assessed by his Department for each risk;
	(2)  what the status is on the most recent edition of the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register of risk  (a) 1.1.2,  (b) 1.1.6,  (c) 1.1.7,  (d) 1.2.1,  (e) 1.2.2,  (f) 1.2.4,  (g) 1.3.1,  (h) 1.3.6,  (i) 1.3.7,  (j) 2.1.1,  (k) 2.1.2,  (l) 2.1.3,  (m) 2.1.4,  (n) 2.1.5,  (o) 2.1.6,  (p) 2.1.7,  (q) 2.2.1,  (r) 2.2.4,  (s) 2.2.5,  (t) 2.2.6a,  (u) 2.2.6b,  (v) 2.2.7,  (w) 2.2.8,  (x) 2.2.9,  (y) 2.2.10,  (z) 3.1.1, (aa) 3.1.2, (bb) 3.1.3, (cc) 3.13, (dd) 3.2.2, (ee) 3.2.1, (ff) 3.3.1, (gg) 3.3.2, (hh) 3.3.3, (ii) 3.3.5, (jj) 3.3.6 and (kk) 3.3.7 as identified by the numbering on the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register as at October 2008;
	(3)  what the most recent edition of the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register records as  (a) measures in place and  (b) further action required in respect of risk (i) 1.1.2, (ii) 1.1.6, (iii) 1.1.7, (iv) 1.2.1, (v) 1.2.2, (vi) 1.2.4, (vii) 1.3.1, (viii) 1.3.6, (ix) 1.3.7, (x) 2.1.1, (xi) 2.1.2, (xii) 2.1.3, (xiii) 2.1.4, (xiv) 2.1.5, (xv) 2.1.6, (xvi) 2.1.7, (xvii) 2.2.1, (xviii) 2.2.4, (xix) 2.2.5, (xx) 2.2.6a, (xxi) 2.2.6b, (xxii) 2.2.7, (xxiii) 2.2.8, (xxiv) 2.2.9, (xxv) 2.2.10, (xxvi) 3.1.1, (xxvii) 3.1.2, (xxviii) 3.1.3, (xxix) 3.13, (xxx) 3.2.2, (xxxi) 3.2.1, (xxxii) 3.3.1, (xxxiii) 3.3.2, (xxxiv) 3.3.3, (xxxv) 3.3.5, (xxxvi) 3.3.6 and (xxxvii) 3.3.7 as identified by the numbering on the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register as at October 2008;
	(4)  what his latest assessment is of the  (a) inherent and  (b) residual risk for (i) impact and (ii) likelihood of occurrence in respect of risk (A) 1.1.2, (B) 1.1.6, (C) 1.1.7, (D) 1.2.1, (E) 1.2.2, (F) 1.2.4, (G) 1.3.1, (H) 1.3.6, (I) 1.3.7, (J) 2.1.1, (K) 2.1.2, (L) 2.1.3, (M) 2.1.4, (N) 2.1.5, (O) 2.1.6, (P) 2.1.7, (Q) 2.2.1, (R) 2.2.4, (S) 2.2.5, (T) 2.2.6a, (U) 2.2.6b, (V) 2.2.7, (W) 2.2.8, (X) 2.2.9, (Y) 2.2.10, (Z) 3.1.1, (AA) 3.1.2, (BB) 3.1.3, (CC) 3.13, (DD) 3.2.2, (EE) 3.2.1, (FF) 3.3.1, (GG) 3.3.2, (HH) 3.3.3, (II) 3.3.5, (JJ) 3.3.6 and (KK) 3.3.7 as identified by the numbering on the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register as at October 2008;
	(5)  with reference to the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register, what change there has been to his Department's assessment of  (a) inherent risk,  (b) measures in place,  (c) residual risk,  (d) status and  (e) further action required since the October 2008 update to the register in respect of closed risk (i) 1.1.1, (ii) 1.1.3, (iii) 1.1.4, (iv) 1.1.5, (v) 1.2.3, (vi) 1.2.5, (vii) 1.3.2, (viii) 1.3.4, (ix) 1.3.5, (x) 1.4.1, (xi), 1.4.2, (xii) 1.5.1, (xiii) 1.6.1, (xiv) 1.6.2, (xv) 1.6.3, (xvi) 2.2.3 and (xvii) 3.3.4.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The risk register to which these questions relate was one of the tools used to manage a project which concluded with the publication, on 22 November 2007 of the consultation "Adding Capacity at Heathrow". The project board has not therefore met since October 2007, and no further versions of the risk register were produced after this date.

Heathrow Airport: Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the proposed high-speed link from Heathrow to Scotland to come into operation.

Paul Clark: The Government's ambition is for a north-south high-speed rail line from London. As a first stage, the Government believe that there is a strong case for a new line between London and the West Midlands serving a Heathrow international interchange station. Direct high-speed services could make use of the new line and the conventional rail network to serve destinations in the north of England and Scotland, cutting journey times and increasing capacity.
	The company, High Speed Two, has been created to advise Ministers on a credible, detailed plan for a new line to the West Midlands, and beyond with specific route options, by the end of 2009. Until this advice is available, it is not possible to determine when high-speed rail services could come into operation.

Level Crossings: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is encouraging Network Rail to take to reduce injuries and fatalities to pedestrians and cyclists at level crossings through the introduction of safer surface material.

Paul Clark: The Office of Rail Regulation, the independent safety regulator for rail, is working to ensure that Network Rail is making proper use of non-slip surfaces to reduce risks to pedestrians and cyclists at level crossings.
	More generally the Office of Rail Regulation is reviewing and revising its guidance on level crossings and one aspect of this includes reviewing the provision of non-slip surfaces on level crossings for all crossing users.

Level Crossings: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to ensure a full record is kept of all incidents at level crossings involving injury to pedestrians and cyclists but where trains are not involved.

Paul Clark: Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), the railway industry must report certain injuries to pedestrians and cyclists at level crossings, where trains are not involved, to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Failure to do so can, ultimately, result in prosecution.
	If incidents involving pedestrians and cyclists are not brought to the attention of the relevant body, then they will not be reported to the Office of Rail Regulation.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new vehicles were licensed in each of the last five years; and how many licensed vehicles were sent for scrap in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of new vehicles licensed at the end of each of the last five years in Great Britain were as follows:
	
		
			  New vehicles licensed at the end of each year 
			   Number  (thousand) 
			 2003 3,081 
			 2004 3,022 
			 2005 2,871 
			 2006 2,752 
			 2007 2,831 
		
	
	Statistics relating to 2008 are not yet available, but are due to be published in April 2009.
	Statistics are not held on the number of scrapped vehicles.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were the subject of a statutory off-road notice but not sent for scrap in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of registered vehicles subject to a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in each of the last three years were as follows:
	
		
			  Registered vehicles subject to a SORN declaration 
			   Number (thousand) 
			 2005 1,565 
			 2006 1,691 
			 2007 1,705 
		
	
	Statistics on vehicles subject to a SORN declaration are not held for 2003 and 2004. In addition, statistics relating to 2008 are not yet available, but are due to be published in April 2009.
	Statistics are not held on the number of scrapped vehicles.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Geoff Hoon: The requested information has been placed in the Library of the House.

Parliamentary Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on which routes parliamentary trains within the meaning of the Railways Act 1844 are running;
	(2)  how many rail replacement bus services are funded directly by his Department.

Paul Clark: holding answer 14 January 2009
	There are no parliamentary trains within the meaning of the Railways Act 1844.
	Mindful of the requirements of relevant legislation, the Department for Transport is currently funding a rail replacement bus service between Ealing Broadway station and Wandsworth Road station. This service, which is a temporary measure until the Department can arrange a replacement rail service in this area, has been operating since 14 December 2008.
	Other than the aforementioned service, no rail replacement bus services are directly funded by the Department. London Midland provide rail replacement bus services in place of all trains to Barlaston, Norton Bridge and Wedgewood. The costs for these are part of the overall subsidy payment for the London Midland franchise.

Public Transport: Bus Services

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of people using public bus services in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: The following tables show the number of bus passenger journeys in Great Britain for each of the last five years together with the frequency of bus use for British residents.
	
		
			  Local bus services passenger journeys: 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			  Million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Great Britain 4,681 4,737 4,791 5,097 5,164 
			  Source: DFT Annual Surveys of Passenger Service Vehicle Operators 
		
	
	
		
			  Frequency of use of local bus: 2003 to 2007 
			  Percentage of individuals 
			   2003  2004( 1)  2005  2006  2007 
			 3 or more times a week 17 — 16 16 17 
			 Once or twice a week 11 — 10 11 11 
			 Less than once a week, more than once or twice a month 4 — 4 4 4 
			 Once or twice a month 7 — 8 8 8 
			 Less than once a month, more than once or twice a year 7 — 7 7 7 
			 Once or twice a year 10 — 10 9 9 
			 Less than once a year or never 44 — 45 44 43 
			 Total 100 — 100 100 100 
			 (1) Data not available.  Source: DFT National Travel Survey

Public Transport: Greater Manchester

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for the funds previously earmarked for public transport improvement in Manchester as part of the Transport Innovation Fund bid.

Paul Clark: The funding previously earmarked for the Greater Manchester Congestion Transport Innovation Fund package will now be made available to other high quality TIF proposals.

Public Transport: Rural Areas

Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants his Department and its predecessor provided to subsidise public transport in rural areas in England in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2008; and if he will make a statement.  [Official Report, 1 April 2009, Vol. 490, c. 7MC.]

Paul Clark: The annual totals of grants paid to local authorities under the rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG) and rural bus challenge (RBC) schemes for the relevant financial years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   RBSG  RBC 
			 2001-02 41.2 12.1 
			 2005-06 53.0 12.3 
			 2008-09(1) (2)157.0 (3)2.0 
			 (1) Paid to local authorities as part of their area-based grant. (2) Allocation. (3) Estimated. 
		
	
	In addition, local authorities support rural transport services using funds from the unhypothecated revenue support grant and local bus service operators, including those in rural areas, receive bus service operators grant from this Department.
	Rural railways are funded as part of franchises covering both rural and urban areas or by grants to Network Rail which operates both rural and non rural railway. No separate figures are available for rural rail support.

Railway Stations: Parking

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate car parking charge increases which have taken place over the last three years at railway station car parks; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: There are no plans to investigate increases in station car parking charges, which are a matter either for Network Rail at its managed stations or for the relevant train operating company at the franchised stations.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department gives to rail maintenance companies with regard to  (a) damage to highways and  (b) disturbance to residents during anti-social hours, with particular reference to the West Coast Main Line at Hampton-in-Arden.

Paul Clark: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member may consider contacting Network Rail's chief executive at the following address:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.

Railways: Subsidies

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been paid in subsidies from the public purse to the rail network in each financial year since privatisation.

Paul Clark: Historic Government support to the rail industry is published by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends. Copies are available in the Library of the House and the data and accompanying notes are also available on the Office of Rail Regulation's website at the following address:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/xls/nrt-tables-6miscell111208.xls

Road Traffic Control

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department  (a) has recently produced and  (b) plans to produce for local authorities on their enforcement of box junction offences; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The enforcement of box junctions in London is carried out under legislation promoted by the relevant local authorities. The Secretary of State has, therefore, no specific powers under which to produce guidance. The remaining provisions in part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004—which include the power to enforce box junctions—will be brought into force in due course with regulations. These will be accompanied by statutory guidance setting out the matters to which local authorities using the powers must have regard.
	The Department for Transport has been discussing the timing and implementation of these powers with the Local Government Association, and our decisions will be informed by the outcome of their soundings with their membership.

Road Traffic Control

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the duties are of  (a) traffic managers and  (b) local traffic authorities with regard to (i) responding to and (ii) preventing traffic gridlock; what guidance his Department has issued on this issue; and what plans he has to issue such guidance in the next 12 months.

Paul Clark: Local traffic authorities have a statutory responsibility (Network Management Duty) to secure the expeditious movement of traffic and to facilitate the same on the networks of others. The Traffic Manager is responsible for carrying out this function. The formal duties are laid out in sections 16 and 17 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.
	The Department for Transport has published 'Network Management Duty Guidance' and 'Guidance on Intervention Criteria' to help Traffic Managers understand and implement the duty. These came into force in December 2004 and 12 March 2007 respectively. Currently there are no plans to issue further guidance in this area.

Road Traffic Control: Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) locations and  (b) roads in (i) the Metropolitan Police area of London, (ii) Essex and (iii) Hertfordshire are where box junction cameras (A) are in place and (B) will be in place within the next 12 months for the purpose of monitoring vehicles for offences other than speeding.

Paul Clark: This information is not kept by the Department for Transport. In London, the enforcement of box junction markings is undertaken mainly by local traffic authorities in accordance with their powers in the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003. Those powers include the option of using cameras to enforce. Outside London, box junction enforcement is the responsibility of the appropriate police authority.

Road Works: Injuries

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people working on roadworks have been  (a) killed and  (b) seriously injured in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table gives the numbers of fatal accidents and major injuries that have occurred to those working on the Highways Agency's road network in the last five years. There have been no further accidents of these types this year.
	
		
			   Fatal accidents  Major injury accidents  Total accidents 
			 2004 1 17 18 
			 2005 5 12 17 
			 2006 2 21 23 
			 2007 0 14 14 
			 2008 1 12 14 
			 Total 10 76 86 
		
	
	Information on road worker casualties on roads that are the responsibility of local highways authorities is not collected by the Department for Transport.

Roads: Accidents

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been  (a) injured,  (b) seriously injured and  (c) killed in collisions with (i) cars, (ii) all motor vehicles and (iii) cyclists in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of pedestrians that were  (a) injured,  (b) seriously injured and  (c) killed in collisions with (i) cars (ii) all motor vehicles and (iii) cyclists in reported personal injury road accidents in each of the last 10 years are given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of casualties 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Cars   
			 All injured 37,367 35,054 34,199 32,955 31,490 29,276 28,116 26,680 24,963 24,169 
			 Serious 8,063 7,451 7,161 6,828 6,496 5,886 5,552 5,251 5,236 5,064 
			 Killed 673 608 590 531 534 533 462 470 471 433 
			
			  All motor vehicles   
			 All injured 43,621 41,598 40,783 39,431 37,734 35,337 33,931 32,290 30,060 29,297 
			 Serious 9,492 8,876 8,559 8,169 7,801 7,109 6,746 6,389 6,322 6,224 
			 Killed 904 863 851 825 770 767 669 666 672 642 
			
			  Pedal Cyclists   
			 All injured 309 346 291 258 205 255 235 276 223 225 
			 Serious 72 70 66 60 47 45 49 61 47 48 
			 Killed 2 5 3 0 4 4 1 3 3 4 
			 1. All injured includes seriously injured and slightly injured casualties.

Rolling Stock

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much rolling stock operates on  (a) Northern Rail,  (b) London Midland and  (c) franchises providing commuter services in London and the South East.

Paul Clark: The quantity of rolling stock operating on Northern Rail, London Midland and franchises providing commuter services in London and the South East is outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Operator  Number of passenger vehicles in service December 2008 
			  (a) Northern 663 
			  (b) London Midland 508 
			  (c) c2c 296 
			 NXEA 1,039 
			 FCC 659 
			 Chiltern 156 
			 FGW 609 
			 SWT 1,339 
			 Southern 1,141 
			 South Eastern 1,328

Sea Rescue: Devon

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for the time taken to initiate a consultation process following the suspension of the Hope Cove lifeboat by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is developing a local consultation which considers the search and rescue provision across a wide area of the South West Peninsular rather than just the provision at Hope Cove. I will be writing shortly to the hon. Member about the plans for local consultation.

Speed Limits: Accidents

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence his Department holds on the effectiveness in reducing accidents of  (a) 20 miles per hour zones and  (b) other speed restrictions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There exists a wide range of research which identifies the link between vehicle speed and accident risk. This answer identifies the key papers.
	The Transport Research Laboratory conducted two reviews of 20 mph zones in 1996 and in 1998.
	Both reports showed that 20 mph zones with traffic calming achieved an average 9 mph reduction in vehicle speeds and a 60 per cent. reduction in accidents whereas in those areas where there was little or no traffic calming, reductions in vehicle speeds were minimal.
	For speed restrictions more generally, the Transport Research Laboratory published a review of non-UK studies in 1994 which established a link between vehicle speed and the risk of accidents. This indicated that, in broad terms, a 1 mph reduction in average speed can reduce accident risk by around 5 per cent.
	In 2000 the Transport Research Laboratory published a report investigating whether this general rule could be applied to different types of UK roads and to further understand the relationship between vehicle speed and accident frequency.
	The report concluded that for each 1 mph reduction in average speed the percentage reduction in accident frequency is between 2 and 7 per cent. depending on vehicle speeds and the nature and layout of the road.

Transport: Finance

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will commission research into the effects of public spending on capital projects and programmes in respect of different modes of transport in stimulating economic activity.

Geoff Hoon: In 2006 the Department for Transport published the Eddington Transport Study. The study reviewed a broad range of evidence to understand how transport can contribute to economic success. The study highlighted transport's pivotal role in supporting the UK's future economic success. The study is published on the internet at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/eddingtonstudy
	The Department has a comprehensive appraisal framework(1) that is used to assess the costs and benefits of proposed transport schemes across all modes. It includes an 'Economy Objective' concerned with improving the economic efficiency of transport, with a sub objective to provide beneficial wider economic impacts.
	The appraisal framework builds on a broad base of evidence and research, including work produced for the Eddington Study. It builds in evidence on the value of time saved and reliability gains to businesses, which are important for economic efficiency. Recent evidence on the contribution of transport to national productivity, such as through transport's impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the labour market is also being incorporated into the assessment framework for schemes.
	The Department is currently undertaking research to develop an approach for evaluating the productivity effects of transport schemes, ex post (i.e. after they have been delivered). This forms part of longer term work to generate robust evidence about the actual effects of key transport schemes on business productivity.
	(1) The DFT appraisal guidance is on the Internet at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/webtag

Waterloo Station

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects platform 20 at Waterloo Station to re-open for train services; and what services will be provided from that platform.

Paul Clark: Network Rail has now completed the works to convert platform 20 of Waterloo International for domestic usage. The Department for Transport is engaged with South West Trains seeking to reach agreement whereby they would operate train services into the platform.

Written Questions: Administrative Delays

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to Questions  (a) 246918,  (b) 246917,  (c) 246775 and  (d) 246919, on the Heathrow Expansion Risk Register, tabled on 18 December.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A reply has been given to the hon. Member today.

OLYMPICS

Offenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many former prisoners are employed by her Office; and what her Office's policy is on the employment of former prisoners.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 872W.

Olympic Delivery Authority

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent edition of the Olympic Delivery Authority's  (a) register of board member interests and  (b) register of gifts and hospitality.

Tessa Jowell: In accordance with its management statement and its commitment to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act:
	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_lnformation_Act>2000
	the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has made its register of board members' interests and its gifts and hospitality register publicly available.
	The most recent editions of: the ODA's register of board members' interests (quarter ending September 2008), and the ODA's corporate hospitality register (July- September 2008), are available on the London 2012 website. I will have copies placed in the Library of both Houses.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 879W on Olympic Games 2012: construction, what RAG rating has been applied to the  (a) budgetary and  (b) timescale elements of the Olympics construction programme in each of the last six months.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 January 2009
	It is not our policy to release the RAG ratings contained in confidential reports to the Olympic Board as, in isolation, they could be misinterpreted. When reporting to the Olympic Board, RAG ratings reflect the risks that exist, as well as progress to date, and these have recently focused primarily on financial challenges as a consequence of the current economic situation, as reflected in my statement of 22 January. Construction works over the last six months have continued to be delivered within the budget and on programme.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics on what date construction began on  (a) the Olympic Stadium and  (b) the Olympic Village.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority began construction of the Olympic Stadium in May 2008, two and a half months ahead of schedule, and of the Olympic Village in June 2008.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 879W on Olympic Games 2012: finance, what level of contingency was  (a) requested and  (b) granted in relation to the (i) additional seating requirements in the handball arena and (ii) the additional building works in the Olympic Stadium.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The details of contingency releases to date will be contained in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games annual report, due to be published next month, and in subsequent quarterly financial updates.

Olympic Lottery

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the Olympic Lottery scratch cards had raised at the latest date for which figures are available; and when she expects the operator to reach its target of £750 million.

Barbara Follett: I have been asked to reply.
	The National Lottery Commission have advised that as of 28 November 2008, designated Olympic lottery games have raised half of the £750 million target, and are on track to reach £750 million by 2012.
	The National Lottery Commission compiles a quarterly report detailing the level of funds that have been transferred to the National Lottery Distribution Fund and the Oylmpic Lottery Distribution Fund, the next of which will be published on 11 February 2009 and will be available at the following weblink:
	www.natlotcomm.gov.uk.

Olympic Park: Roads

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics on what date the construction of the temporary roads and bridges required for traffic access to the Olympic Park was completed.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 January 2009,  Official Report , column 1255W.

SCOTLAND

Navy: Ports

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence on the future use of Scottish ports by the Royal Navy.

Ann McKechin: Scotland Office Ministers are in regular contact with Ministry of Defence Ministers on a range of issues.

WALES

Departmental Manpower

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff are employed in his Department's media and communications team; when each member of staff was recruited; what the responsibilities of each member of staff are; and what the salary of each member of staff is.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has three members of staff employed in the media and communications team who are involved in a range of communication activities:
	the Chief Press Officer recruited on 2 October 2006;
	Senior Information Officer on 8 January 2007; and
	Information Officer on 15 December 2008.
	Salary information for individual staff is confidential and cannot be provided.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and how much was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Paul Murphy: No bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working in the Wales Office in 2007 or 2008.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Antisocial Behaviour

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many anti-social behaviour orders were issued in each court area in Northern Ireland in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

Paul Goggins: The number of antisocial behaviour orders reported to the Northern Ireland Office by the relevant authorities is set out by court area and year in the following table.
	
		
			  Court Area  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Antrim — 1 1 — 2 
			 Ballymena — 9 4 16 29 
			 Bangor — 2 1 — 3 
			 Belfast 1 8 10 4 23 
			 Coleraine 3 — — — 3 
			 Craigavon — 2 — — 2 
			 Derry — 3 — — 3 
			 Downpatrick — — 3 2 5 
			 Dungannon 1 2 — — 3 
			 Enniskillen — 1 1 — 2 
			 Larne 3 — — 2 5 
			 Lisburn — — 1 1 2 
			 Magherafelt 1 — — — 1 
			 Newry — 2 1 2 5 
			 Newtownards — 2 — — 2 
			 Omagh — — 1 — 1 
			 Strabane — — — 1 1

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to which  (a) charities and  (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each.

Shaun Woodward: Details of funding provided by the Northern Ireland Office to charities and voluntary organisations can be found in the 'Government Funding Database' which is located at the following address:
	www.volcomgrantsni.gov.uk.
	This database allows public access to grant awards made by the Northern Ireland Office and the NI departments. The information spans a number of financial years and is updated regularly by each department.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The Department does not operate a reward and recognition scheme. Staff performance is recognised through the NIO's bonus arrangements.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700.

Shaun Woodward: Of the 1,477(1) questions received by my Department, from the beginning of 2008 until the end of the Session, only 24 received no answer on the grounds of disproportionate cost. This represents less than 0.02 per cent. of the total.
	If a question is deemed to exceed the threshold it is my Department's policy to provide whatever information it can, if available, within that threshold.
	(1 )These figures cover questions tabled in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, including oral questions in the House of Commons. They exclude transferred or withdrawn questions.

Ireland: Official Visits

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in 2008 the President of the Irish Republic visited Northern Ireland; and which official UK representative met her on each visit.

Paul Goggins: The President of the Irish Republic has visited Northern Ireland to conduct private working visits on 13 occasions during 2008. I have outlined the locations and confirmed the official UK representative who met the President on each occasion:
	(1) Visit to Co. Down on 28 January and met by William Hall, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Down;
	(2) Visit to Belfast on 8 February and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
	(3) Visit to Co. Antrim, Co. Londonderry and Co. Tyrone on 20 February and met by Sheelagh Hillan, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Co. Antrim;
	(4) Visit to Armagh on 5t March and met by the right hon. the Earl of Caledon, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Armagh;
	(5) Visit to Belfast on 18 March and 19 of March and met by Commander Keith Cochrane, Vice Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
	(6) Visit to Co. Down on 3 April and met by David Shillington, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Co. Down;
	(7) Visit to Londonderry on 29 May and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry;
	(8) Visit to Londonderry on 10 June and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry;
	(9) Visit to Belfast on 29 June and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
	(10) Visit to Co. Tyrone on 17 September and met by Denis Desmond, Lord Lieutenant of Co. Londonderry (greeted at Deny City Airport);
	(11) Visit to the City of Derry on 4 October and met by Donal Keegan, Lord Lieutenant of the City of Londonderry;
	(12) Visit to Co. Down on 23 October and met by Commander Keith Cochrane, Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast;
	(13) Visit to Belfast on 18 November and met by Lady Carswell, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast.

Offensive Weapons

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what quantity of  (a) firearms,  (b) ammunition,  (c) explosives and  (d) detonators was discovered in Northern Ireland in 2008.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member directly, and I will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Reparation By Offenders

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methodology is used to  (a) monitor the progress made by and  (b) measure the outcome for those participating in community restorative justice schemes funded by his Department.

Paul Goggins: The Government protocol under which community-based restorative justice schemes are accredited provides that a multi-agency review panel, representative of key criminal justice organisations, will have responsibility for case monitoring, outcome reviews and the overall assessment of the effectiveness of specific interventions for particular categories of offence and offender. Additionally, the protocol provides that accredited schemes will also be subject to inspection by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland who will have access to all records of protocol activity undertaken by schemes to ensure that the prescribed standards are being maintained.

Security

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The 20th IMC report underlines the very significant progress that Northern Ireland has made towards a more normal society; however, dissident Republicans remain active and committed to killing or injuring police officers. They are isolated within the wider community and I have every confidence in the PSNI's ability to deal with the threat they pose. The extension of the decommissioning scheme provides loyalists with a final opportunity to signal their commitment to move forward and give up their weapons. This scheme does not cut across continuing PSNI efforts to find and remove illegal weapons.

Weapons: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the Government has extended the deadline for loyalist paramilitary decommissioning.

Paul Goggins: The Government remain committed to removing illegal weapons from Northern Ireland society.
	The Secretary of State would not have sought an extension to the scheme unless he believed there was a reasonable prospect of decommissioning in the coming period. The scheme applies only in restricted circumstances to those who have reached agreement with the IICD on the process of decommissioning. It does not cut across continuing PSNI efforts to find and remove illegal weapons.

Witnesses: Protection

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget for the Key Persons Protection Scheme in Northern Ireland was in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: Admissions to the key persons protection scheme ceased on 31 October 2006 and was replaced by the limited home protection scheme.
	Expenditure on the limited home protection scheme in the last two years is as follows:
	
		
			  As at 1 April to 31 March each year  Expenditure on the scheme (£ million) 
			 2007-08 (1)2.149 
			 2008-09 (2)1.655 
			 (1)( )Actual spend. (2 )Budget.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 738-39W, on Iraq and Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the reasons are for the four-month period between the withdrawal of Merlin helicopters from Iraq and their planned redeployment to operations in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 January 2009
	 It is essential that all personnel are fully trained for the demanding operational conditions in Afghanistan ahead of any deployment. The majority of the preparation for the redeployment of Merlin from Iraq to Afghanistan is taking place while the Merlin Force remains committed to Iraq. However, certain key aspects of the flying training cannot be conducted until the equipment deployed in Iraq is released from theatre.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace the Harrier aircraft currently operating in south west Afghanistan.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 134W and 136W, to the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster).

Aircraft Carriers

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles from the future aircraft carriers.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 14 January 2009
	We keep our requirements under constant review and are conducting studies into the potential requirement for unmanned aerial systems including maritime systems. So far, this work has not specifically focused on the use of any particular maritime platform such as the future aircraft carrier.

Armed Forces: Health

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) actual personnel medically fit for purpose total is for (i) each battalion of the infantry (ii) 1 Rifles, (iii) 40 Commando Royal Marines, (iv) 42 Commando Royal Marines and (v) 45 Commando Royal Marines.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 January 2009
	 The figures requested for the infantry are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Div  Unit  Required strength  Actual strength  Fit for purpose strength 
			 Guards 1 Grenadier Guards 632 549 502 
			  1 Coldstream Gds 626 511 511 
			  1 Scots Guards 685 548 519 
			  1 Irish Guards 633 602 575 
			  1 Welsh Guards 626 584 540 
			  
			 Scots 1 Scots 630 554 508 
			  2 Scots 627 476 451 
			  3 Scots 629 575 546 
			  4 Scots 686 588 538 
			  5 Scots 657 561 535 
			  
			 Queens 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 682 683 657 
			  2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 623 524 503 
			  1 Royal Regt Fusiliers 686 677 650 
			  2 Royal Regt Fusiliers 623 505 423 
			  1 Royal Anglian 658 733 710 
			  2 Royal Anglian 629 627 613 
			  
			 Kings 1 Lancs 658 670 634 
			  2 Lancs 612 607 570 
			  1 Yorks 629 519 500 
			  2 Yorks 623 489 469 
			  3 Yorks 686 626 592 
			  
			 PoW 1 Mercian 628 523 487 
			  2 Mercian 623 564 538 
			  3 Mercian 658 594 541 
			  1 Royal Welsh 623 543 522 
			  2 Royal Welsh 686 625 579 
			  
			 Rifles 1 Rifles 534 542 477 
			  2 Rifles 623 619 583 
			  3 Rifles 623 634 628 
			  4 Rifles 655 647 633 
			  5 Rifles 686 712 672 
			  
			 RI 1 Royal Irish 650 571 528 
			  
			 Para 2 Para 648 677 624 
			  3 Para 648 662 660 
			  
			 RGR 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles 643 739 720 
			  2 Royal Gurkha Rifles 758 925 896 
		
	
	In addition to the battalions shown above there are three incremental guards companies which are primarily for public duties but which can also be used to augment the other guards battalions as required:
	
		
			  Unit  Required strength  Actual strength  Fit for purpose strength 
			 N Coy Grenadier Gds 108 109 105 
			 7 Coy Coldstream Gds 108 90 90 
			 F Coy Scots Guards 108 108 105 
		
	
	The figures in both tables include personnel filling all roles within each battalion, not just infantrymen. "Fit for purpose" has been interpreted as fit for primary role.
	The figures for the Royal Marines Commandos Units specified are as follows:
	
		
			  Unit  Required strength  Actual strength  Fit for purpose strength 
			 40 Cdo RM 703 555 521 
			 42 Cdo RM 703 703 649 
			 45 Cdo RM 703 824 790

Armed Forces: Manpower

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 17, what the evidential basis is for his statement that there has been an overall improvement in recent times; and if he will place in the Library all relevant figures on harmony guidelines.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Maintaining Harmony helps to relieve the stress and burden on our armed forces and their families. Consequently, the Service Chiefs expend considerable effort in increasing intervals between operational tours intervals and maintaining the Harmony Guidelines. As I stated in the House on 12 January 2009, breaches of the Harmony Guidelines have decreased, albeit not as quickly as I would have hoped for, but I am confident that the trend is heading in the right direction and that the Service Chiefs have measures in place to monitor and address the breaches while maintaining operational capability. The first table following gives an indication of mean unit tour intervals, which shows that the Royal Artillery, Royal Signals and the Royal Logistic Corps units are suffering greater commitment than most. However, the unit tour interval does not reflect the degree of trickle posting of personnel through these units or how much separation an individual incurs.
	
		
			   Average tour interval 
			   2007  2008 
			   September  October  November  December  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 Infantry 23 22 22 23 23 23 23 27 27 24 
			 RAC 24.1 24 24 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 
			 RA 19.1 18.5 18.5 18.5 18.5 18.5 18.5 21 21 21 
			 RE 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.9 
			 R SIGNALS 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 
			 RLC 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 
		
	
	The second table identifies the level of separation (Harmony), which incorporates all activities, such as training, support to operations and courses that take service personnel away from their family and friends.
	The current levels of Individual Harmony show that:
	Less than 1 per cent. of Royal Navy/Royal Marines personnel were in breach of the single service guidelines.
	Owing to the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration system, it is not possible at present to identify the exact level of breach of the Harmony Guidelines in the Army. Validated data will not be available until January 2010 but, for administrative purposes, the percentage is currently being held at 10.3 per cent. the last figure in which we can have confidence before the introduction of the new system. However, every effort is being made by all levels of the chain of command to ensure that soldiers are not overly committed.
	The level of RAF breaches shows a significant drop from 9.4 per cent. to 6.1 per cent. The degree of change has been brought about by an amendment to the reporting criteria. The RAF Harmony Guideline has changed from 140 days separation in a 12-month period to 280 days in a 24-month period. Without increasing the level of separation commanders now have greater flexibility to deploy personnel on career courses, education and adventure training without breaking the Harmony Guideline.
	
		
			   Percentage of total personnel who have breached Individual Harmony 
			RN  Army  RAF 
			 2002-03 Q1 <1 (1)— 5.3 
			 2002-03 Q2 <1 (1)— 5.4 
			 2002-03 Q3 <1 (1)— 5.1 
			 2002-03 Q4 <1 (1)— 5.0 
			  
			 2003-04 Q1 <1 (1)— 6.8 
			 2003-04 Q2 <1 (1)— 6.2 
			 2003-04 Q3 <1 (1)— 6.2 
			 2003-04 Q4 <1 18.1 5.4 
			  
			 2004-05 Q1 <1 17.0 3.6 
			 2004-05 Q2 <1 16.8 3.8 
			 2004-05 Q3 <1 15.5 3.6 
			 2004-05 Q4 <1 15.5 3.9 
			  
			 2005-06 Q1 <1 15.6 4.1 
			 2005-06 Q2 <1 15.3 4.1 
			 2005-06 Q3 <1 15.1 4.2 
			 2005-06 Q4 <1 14.5 3.9 
			  
			 2006-07 Q1 <1 14.0 2.9 
			 2006-07 Q2 <1 13.4 1.7 
			 2006-07 Q3 <1 12.4 5.2 
			 2006-07 Q4 <1 10.3 6.2 
			  
			 2007-08 Q1 <1 10.3 6.7 
			 2007-08 Q2 <1 10.3 9.2 
			 2007-08 Q3 <1 10.3 10 
			 2007-08 Q4 <1 10.3 9.2 
			  
			 2008-09 Q1 <1 10.3 9.4 
			 2008-09 Q2 <1 (2)10.3 (3)6.1 
			 (1) No record. (2) This is a holding figure as there is currently insufficient data held on JPA—this should become available in January 2010. (3) This reflects the changes in the reporting baseline—the RAF Harmony Guidelines has changed from 140-/12 to 280/24 and is now reported against a 0 level threshold.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent  (a) military and  (b) civilian personnel are employed at the headquarters of each UK-based regional brigade.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Brigade  Military posts  Civilian posts 
			 15 (North East) Brigade 46 46 
			 42 (North West) Brigade 33 53 
			 51 (Scottish) Brigade 34 47 
			 2 (South East) Brigade 26 44 
			 43 (Wessex) Brigade 34 59 
			 145 (South) Brigade 33 42 
			 49 (East) Brigade 40 39 
			 143 (West Midlands) Brigade 47 56 
			 160 (Wales) Brigade 36 56 
			 38 (Irish) Brigade 100 171 
		
	
	Military numbers include posts filled by non regular permanent staff and full-time reserve service personnel working alongside regular Army personnel.
	Civilian numbers include some posts which are filled by contracted personnel who are not civil servants. Some of these posts may not be currently filled.
	38 (Irish) Brigade figures are not in line with a typical regional brigade pending the full implementation of Northern Ireland normalisation plans.

Armed Forces: South Georgia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Royal Navy stations any vessels in the region surrounding South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no Royal Navy vessels permanently stationed near South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. There are regular patrols in this area by the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel, HMS Clyde, and the Atlantic Patrol Task (South). Visits would also normally include the Antarctic patrol and survey vessel in the austral summer (HMS Endurance). Regular air and land patrols also take place.
	The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Government also have their own fisheries protection vessel, MV Pharos.

Army: Labour Turnover

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow rates of each army infantry battalion were in each month of 2008;
	(2)  what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow rates of each army corps were in each month of 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: Information broken down by each Infantry Battalion is not held centrally and is therefore currently unavailable. Flows information by Army Service is not currently available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the inflow to the trained strength of the total army can be found in Table 4 of Tri-Service Publication four UK Armed Forces Quarterly Manning Report and the outflow from the trained strength of the total army can be found in Table 6 of Tri-Service Publication four which can be viewed on the DASA web at the following link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=48&thiscontent=20&date=2008-11-27&pubType=l&PublishTime=09:30:00&from=home&tabOption=3

Athena Mechanism

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to the Athena mechanism in the last six months.

Bob Ainsworth: A number of changes have been made to the Athena mechanism in the last six months. The resulting revised Athena mechanism document 16561/08 dated 16 December 2008 has been published and can be found within the Council of the European Union's website at:
	http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st16/st16561.en08.pdf.
	I can confirm that the UK was successful in delivering our key goal of ensuring that the eligibility for common funding remained within previously agreed levels.

AWE Burghfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence his Department holds on the safety of airborne particulate debris arising from the functioning of the Main Process Facility at AWE Burghfield.

Quentin Davies: The release of radioactive material to the environment is regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93). Under this regulatory regime, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has an authorisation, issued by the EA, which places various requirements and limits on AWE operations, including those associated with the main process facility for the assembly/disassembly of nuclear warheads at AWE Burghfield.
	The methodology used by AWE and accepted by the EA is based on air sampling and modelling and shows that actual discharges are well within safe levels i.e. those required by legislation. Sampling results are reported regularly by AWE plc to the EA and to the Ministry of Defence.
	The EA is content that radioactive releases from the existing AWE Burghfield facility would have negligible impact upon the environment, even at the maximum permissible release limits as set out in the AWE Burghfield RSA93 Authorisation. The proposed replacement facility will be required to operate under the same regulatory regime and it is anticipated that radioactive releases from the proposed replacement facility will be no higher than the already negligible releases from the existing facility.

AWE Burghfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the risk from activity in the gravel gerties to  (a) building workers,  (b) other on-site workers and  (c) the general public is below the basic safety objectives in the Burghfield assembly facility.

Quentin Davies: The basis for demonstrating the safe operation of nuclear facilities is that the requirements of good practice in engineering, operation and safety management are met. Risks from activities in the gravel gerties have to meet the legal requirement to be As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). There are also in place numerical risk targets defined by the independent nuclear safety regulator, the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII).
	When compared to these numerical targets, risks for building workers lie between the Basic Safety Objective and the Basic Safety Level and have been assessed to be ALARP. The risks for other on-site workers and the public are below the Basic Safety Objective. An ongoing programme of work in the gravel gerties, agreed with the NII, continues to drive risks down further. The NII is satisfied with this strategy and that operations continue to be completed safely.

Defence Equipment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the McKinsey and Co study, "Transforming the UK's Defence Procurement System".

Quentin Davies: Yes. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

Defence Management Board

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) Defence Board (08) Paper 03, Strategic Risk—Making The Defence Case,  (b) Defence Board (08), Paper 02, Strategic Review of Remuneration,  (c) Defence Board (08), Paper 10, Typhoon Tranche 3 and Future Support,  (d) Defence Board (08) Paper 13, Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Legislation,  (e) Defence Board (08) Paper 17, Balanced Scorecard and  (f) Defence Board (08) Paper 47, Departmental Management of International Acquisition;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) Defence Management Board DMB (07) Paper 24, Defence Attaches Review,  (b) DMB (07) 25, The Future of NAAFI,  (c) DMB (07) 28, Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide,  (d) DMB (07) 28, Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D,  (e) DMB (07) 46, Managing Our Military Strategic Balance 2,  (f) DMB (07) 57, the Future of NAAFI,  (g) DMB (07) 58, Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D,  (h) DMB (07) 58, Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D and  (i) DMB (07) 60, Pay Strategy 2008;
	(3)  what Defence Management Board papers were taken in 2008;
	(4)  if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 11 Crown Immunity,  (b) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 12 Maximising Benefit from Defence Research,  (c) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 13 Crown Immunity in Defence,  (d) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 15 Comprehensive Spending Review 07—Value for Money Reviews,  (e) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 16 Science and Technology Rapid Assistance to Operations (STRATOS),  (f) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 33 DMB Involvement with Investment Approval Decisions and  (g) Defence Management Board (07) Paper 34 Defence Balanced Scorecard Revision.

John Hutton: The Defence Management Board was renamed the Defence Board in early 2008. It is the main corporate board of the MOD, providing strategic level leadership and strategic management of Defence, with responsibility to Ministers for the full range of Defence business, other than the conduct of operations.
	It is a forum in which judgments about advice to Ministers are made, policy formulated, and issues relating to defence, national security and international relations (including some involving classified information, commercial and legal advice) are discussed. It is important that there should be a free and frank exchange of views. Accordingly, most of the papers it considers cannot be released.
	However, reports on "Maximising Benefit from Defence Research" and "Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D", which formed the basis of Defence Management Board papers (06)12 and (07)30 are publicly available on the MOD website. I have placed in the Library of the House copies of Defence Management Board papers (06)34 "Defence Balanced Scorecard Revision" and (07)58 "Update on Maximising Defence Capability Through R and D" and Defence Board paper (08)13 "Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Legislation".
	Lists of the papers taken by the Defence Board in 2008 and of those taken by the Defence Management Board in previous years are published on the MOD's website, together with meeting agendas and unclassified summaries of conclusions.

Defence: Military Aircraft

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fixed-wing aircraft serve as  (a) transport and troop carriers and  (b) air refuelling craft; and where each such aircraft is based.

Quentin Davies: The aircraft that comprise the air transport and air to air refuelling fleets are in the following table.
	
		
			  Aircraft  Role  Base 
			 Hercules CI30K Air Transport RAF Lyneham 
			 Hercules C130J Air Transport RAF Lyneham 
			 C-17 Globemaster Air Transport RAF Brize Norton 
			 VC10 Dual-role Air Transport and Air to Air Refuelling RAF Brize Norton 
			 Tristar Dual-role Air Transport and Air to Air Refuelling RAF Brize Norton 
		
	
	Communications and training aircraft have been excluded.
	For the aircraft numbers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 105W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Defence: Military Aircraft

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tranche 3 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft are on order for  (a) Saudi Arabia,  (b) Japan and  (c) the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: There are currently no Tranche 3 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft on order for any nation.

Departmental Air Travel

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 253W, on departmental air travel, whether staff who travel in a cheaper class than that to which they are entitled receive a  (a) personal and  (b) pecuniary benefit from doing so.

Kevan Jones: Ministry of Defence or Defence Agency staff entitled to first or business class air travel may travel at a lower class if they wish. Where employees travel outside their entitlement, they receive no personal or pecuniary benefit for doing so.

Departmental Fuels

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what volume of  (a) petrol,  (b) diesel,  (c) aviation fuel and  (d) other fuels derived from petroleum his Department consumed in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: As MOD central financial systems do not record total fuels consumption, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Figures are, however, available for marine fuels consumed (including fuels for operations) by UK gallon and are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  UK g allon 
			   Financial year 
			  Fuel type  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 F-76 (marine diesel) 50,127,440 48,431,460 49,506,380 
			 MGO (marine gasoil) 6,421,140 9,632,920 11,299,200 
			 F-44 (marine aviation) 3,132,360 2,633,400 2,574,220 
		
	
	Some figures are also available for the amount purchased by UK gallon of aviation and ground fuels and these are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  UK gallon 
			   Financial year 
			  Fuel type  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avtur F-35 (aviation turbine) 138,991,189 152,765,198 131,781,498 
			 ULGAS F-67 (unleaded petrol) 1,766,740 1,712,115 (1)— 
			 Dieso F-54 (road diesel) 13,276,872 12,219,604 13,450,000 
			 (1) Figure not yet available. 
		
	
	The figures in this table exclude fuel card purchases and some refuelling arrangements with other nations. Moreover, they do not include fuel for use on operations as non-marine fuels are obtained by arrangement with NATO and the United States.

Departmental ICT

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008 to the hon. Member for Chesterfield,  Official Report, columns 897-8W, on departmental ICT, 
	(1)  how many of the principal operators of the  (a) 65 memory sticks lost or stolen from his Department in 2008 and  (b) 11 memory sticks recovered by his Department in 2008, had security clearance to enable then to access (i) confidential, (ii) secret and (iii) top secret information;
	(2)  how many of the principal operators of the  (a) 120 laptops lost or stolen from his Department in 2008 and  (b) 26 laptop computers recovered by his Department in 2008, had security clearance to enable then to access (i) confidential, (ii) secret and (iii) top secret information;
	(3)  how many of the principal operators of the  (a) 12 desktop computers lost or stolen from his Department in 2008 and  (b) the desktop computer recovered by his Department in 2008, had security clearance to enable then to access (i) confidential, (ii) secret and (iii) top secret information;
	(4)  how many of the principal operators of the  (a) 74 hard drives lost or stolen from his Department in 2008 and  (b) five hard drives recovered by his Department in 2008, had security clearance to enable then to access (i) confidential, (ii) secret and (iii) top secret information.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 12 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1176-77W, on departmental manpower, whether civilian staff who are allocated to the redeployment pool are required to relocate to  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary positions in specific parts of the country.

Kevan Jones: Generally, full-time civilian staff at band D and equivalent and above have a full mobility obligation. All part-time staff and those below band D have a minimum mobility obligation, within the travel to work area. All civilian staff, whether in the redeployment pool or not, may be required to transfer within the terms of their mobility obligation, which may be to a permanent or temporary position.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobile telephones  (a) were reported as lost or stolen from and  (b) have since been recovered by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each year since 2003.

Kevan Jones: MOD units are not required to report centrally incidents of loss or theft of mobile phones. The information requested therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EC Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes in EU defence policy took place during the 2008 French Presidency.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the Explanatory Memorandum (EM number 30250) submitted for parliamentary scrutiny by the Minister for Europe on the presidency report of the European Security and Defence Policy. This EM was placed in the Library of the House on 10 December 2008 and sets out the HMG view on developments and changes for the European Security and Defence Policy that took place during the French presidency of the EU.

EU Battlegroups

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department of providing Britain's commitment to the EU Battlegroup was between July and December 2008.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answers my predecessor gave on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 278W, and 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 681W. The UK EU Battlegroup did not deploy and hence there were no additional deployment-related costs to the UK.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from veterans who were present at the nuclear tests which took place in and around Malden Island in the 1950s; if he will make compensation payments to such veterans whose health was affected by the tests; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 22 January 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave today to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) and to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes).

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations his Department has received from the British Nuclear Test Veterans' Association (BNTVA) over claims for compensation from such veterans; and what the outcome was of his most recent meeting with the BNTVA to discuss compensation.

Kevan Jones: In December 2008 I received a letter signed by the Chairman of the BNTVA John Lowe, the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron) and my hon. Friend hon. the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson). That letter set out a case for an end to the atomic veterans litigation and for payment of damages to "nuclear test veterans and their affected offspring". While I have considered the points made, the Ministry of Defence has seen no general evidence of damage to nuclear test veterans' health, and therefore in my view the atomic veterans litigation must proceed at the High Court. I will place a copy of that letter and my reply in the Library of the House.
	I do, however, take the concerns of our nuclear test veterans very seriously. For that reason, I met with representatives of the BNTVA, John Baron and Ian Gibson in October 2008 to discuss taking forward a study into the health of the offspring of nuclear test veterans. Officials also met the BNTVA and John Baron on 4 December 2008 to discuss preliminary scientific and ethical considerations that may be relevant to such a study. Both meetings were in clear agreement that compensation should not be discussed in advance of the forthcoming legal case. The Ministry of Defence has received no other recent representations from the BNTVA concerned with claims for compensation.
	We are currently arranging a follow-on meeting to include the BNTVA and scientific experts, to take place as soon as practicable.

Future Large Aircraft

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the position of the A400M project; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the expected delivery dates for the A400M aircraft are; whether the aircraft will meet the Royal Air Force's heavy lift requirement needs; what recent discussions his officials have had with Airbus on the project; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: A contract for the development and production of the A400M aircraft was signed with Airbus Military on 27 May 2003 by the Organisation for Joint Armaments Co-operation (OCCAR) on behalf of participating nations (Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey and the UK). The UK offtake is 25 aircraft from a total order of 180. The A400M is proving to be a challenging programme, and several delays and programme slips have been announced. Most recently, EADS/Airbus Military announced a slow down in production and that the first flight of the A400M prototype aircraft will slip until the "second half of 2009".
	EADS/Airbus Military have recently presented a proposed way ahead for the A400M programme and announced that they wish to discuss the delivery schedule and specific performance characteristics. The implications of these proposals are being studied by the nations and OCCAR.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of co-operation between his Department and the Department for International Development in Operation Telic.

John Hutton: There is strong and effective cooperation between officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development on Operation TELIC and in other areas of stabilisation and conflict prevention activity. On a recent visit to Basra, the US Commanding General in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, praised the levels of UK civil-military integration in Basra, describing it as 'the way forward' for Iraq.

Joint Strike Fighter

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter.

Quentin Davies: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) .

Met Office: Consultants

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Meteorological Office has spent on  (a) public affairs firms and consultants and  (b) external public relations companies in the last five years; and on which firms the money was spent.

Kevan Jones: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Public affairs companies  
			 Politics International Ltd. 12,053 25,919 49,201 60,725 25,275 
			 Cavendish Place Communications — — — — 4,000 
			   
			  External public relations companies  
			 Citigate Communications 20,924 — — — — 
			 Primus Communications Ltd. 6,127 1,250 — — — 
		
	
	Payments to public affairs firms relate to training for Met Office witnesses appearing before Select Committees; training for Met Office staff in stakeholder management; assistance with the development and strengthening of relationships with key stakeholders, and support for Met Office participation in stakeholder events relating to meteorology and climate science.
	Payments to external public relations companies relate to the provision of general PR support and advice. The Met Office no longer uses external public relations companies for this purpose.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters were available for deployment by each service in each year since 2001.

Quentin Davies: All aircraft in the Forward Fleet are available for potential deployments worldwide. The Forward Fleet figures for each helicopter type by service are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Financial year 
			  Helicopter type  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Royal Navy 
			 Merlin HM1 13 17 19 19 21 25 26 23 
			 Lynx Mk 3 28 28 27 26 20 21 22 21 
			 Lynx Mk 8 17 19 20 19 21 23 21 20 
			 Sea King Mk 2/7 7 6 6 9 8 9 9 9 
			 Sea King Mk 5 8 8 9 9 10 11 11 11 
			 Sea King Mk 6 17 12 6 4 3 0 0 0 
			 Sea King Mk 4 and 6c 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 
			  
			  Army 
			 Apache (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 35 39 46 50 
			 A109 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Gazelle (2)— (2)— 75 69 53 49 42 42 
			 Lynx Mk 7 and 9 (2)— (2)— 75 75 75 66 59 59 
			  
			  RAF 
			 Chinook (2)— (2)— 31 31 27 27 29 29 
			 Merlin Mk 3 8 10 12 15 15 14 15 17 
			 Puma (2)— (2)— (2)— 28 26 25 22 23 
			 Sea King Mk 3/3a (Search and Rescue) 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 
			 (1) Not in service (2) Not recorded

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in the review of catering and other ancillary services provided to military bases in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department sent a consultation document to trade unions on 9 January 2009 seeking agreement on recommendations for the future delivery of catering, retail and leisure services and soft facilities support in Northern Ireland. The trade unions have 30 working days to respond plus an additional 15 days if required.

Navy: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what Royal Navy assets will form the UK contribution to Op Atalanta in the  (a) second quarter,  (b) third quarter and  (c) fourth quarter 2009;
	(2)  what Royal Navy assets are  (a) currently participating and  (b) planned to participate in (i) CTF 151 and (ii) Op Atalanta;
	(3)  which EU member states are contributing to the EU's Op Atalanta; and what each is contributing.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK will contribute the Operation Commander and the Operation Headquarters to Op Atalanta throughout 2009, and the Royal Navy is currently providing HMS Northumberland for the first period of this EU counter-piracy mission.
	Contribution of any further vessels is dependant on European Security and Defence Policy force generation requirements and UK operational priorities.
	A number of European countries are contributing to Operation Atalanta. Questions regarding the specific contribution of other EU member states should be referred to the appropriate EU authorities.
	HMS Portland will, on a case by case basis, support Combined Task Force 151 for counter-piracy operations. The UK will continue to provide a frigate to broader coalition operations in the region, including Combined Task Forces 150 and 151.

Nuclear Weapons: Ex-servicemen

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many settlements have been made by his Department of claims made by British nuclear test veterans;
	(2)  for which medical conditions his Department has accepted liability in relation to British nuclear test veterans;
	(3)  what reviews have been undertaken by the Government of the claims for compensation of British nuclear test veterans in the last 30 years;
	(4)  how much compensation has been paid to British nuclear test veterans to date.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence has not settled any common law claims for compensation relating to participation in the British nuclear testing programme of the 1950s and 1960s. The MOD does, however, have a long established war pension scheme which pays no-fault compensation in the form of tax-free pensions and allowances for ex-service personnel injured or made ill as a result of their service before 6 April 2005. There are no time limits for making a claim under the war pension scheme. The scheme is administered by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA). Information on awards under the scheme is published quarterly by the Department's Defence Analytical and Services Agency (DASA) derived from data from the war pension computer system. Those data do not enable injuries or illnesses to be linked to service at a particular location. It is not, therefore, possible to identify payments made to British nuclear test veterans under the war pension scheme. Nor is it possible to say how much has been spent on war pensions to nuclear tests veterans.
	The Department is committed to compensation policy and individual decisions reflecting case facts and the relevant law, which are evidence based and in line with contemporary medical and scientific understanding. To meet this commitment there is routine scrutiny of the published peer reviewed literature and any other evidence of suitable quality.
	When considering a claim for a war pension the facts of each case are considered on their individual merits. The test of proof is unique to the war pension scheme and is preferential to the claimant. It is more advantageous than the normal civil test of proof. In a war pension claim made more than seven years after leaving service there has to be no more than reliable evidence to raise a reasonable doubt that there is a connection between service and the claimed condition.
	For nuclear test veterans, entitlement may be given under the war pension scheme for leukaemia, other than chronic lymphatic leukaemia, and polycythaemia rubra vera, in both cases where the condition arose within 25 years of presence at a nuclear test. This is based on the findings of the three National Radiological Protection Board epidemiological studies on mortality and cancer incidence of nuclear test participants 1952 to 1998 (published in 1988, 1993 and 2003). For these conditions, entitlement relates to presence at the sites and not exposure to ionising radiation. Otherwise the studies concluded that levels of mortality and cancer incidence in participants and controls were similar, with overall mortality less than expected from national rates.
	A war pension, however, may be awarded in any individual case where the evidence shows that the individual is suffering from a recognised radiogenic disease and was exposed to a significant level of ionising radiation. It is important to note that the overwhelming majority of British nuclear test veterans received a "zero" dose of ionising radiation.

Pirates

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards reaching an international agreement on a legal framework for the detention and trial of pirates.

Bob Ainsworth: Piracy is a crime of universal jurisdiction which any state is entitled, as a matter of international law, to prosecute. However it remains for individual countries to ensure legislation or suitable arrangement are in place for the detention and trial of pirates.
	In line with UN Security Council Resolution 1851, the inauguration of the International Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia took place on 14 January to discuss an international response to piracy. The Contact Group was attended by 24 countries and five organisations, including UK representatives. One of the key focus areas is strengthening judicial frameworks for arrest, prosecution and detention of pirates, exploring regional arrangements, bilateral arrangements, and international judicial systems. A working group is taking forward discussions on this important issue.

Small Scale Focused Intervention Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which regiment or battalion forms the Small Scale Focused Intervention Force (SSFIF); whether it is fully equipped; whether the present SSFIF is deployed; and when the future SSFIF will take over from the present SSFIF.

Bob Ainsworth: The Small Scale Focused Intervention Force was replaced by the Small Scale Contingent Battle Group (SSCBG) in January 2009 and is currently formed by 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. A rotation of the SSCBG will take place in December 2009, for which a replacement unit has yet to be determined.
	The SSCBG is not currently deployed, but is in a state of high readiness to deploy at 30 days notice.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles deployed by the Royal Air Force are fitted with precision munitions.

Quentin Davies: RAF Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles are capable of carrying 5001b laser guided bombs and Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. The actual weapons fitted during each operational deployment can and does vary and will be tailored to meet the operational requirement.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1053W, on unmanned air vehicles, what drone systems were procured prior to the purchase of the Reaper system in the last 10 years; and at what cost.

Quentin Davies: I have taken the term "drone" to mean Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) rather than aerial target drones. The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Year of procurement  System  Cost (£ million) 
			 2003 Desert Hawk 1 0.95 
			 2003 Buster 0.28 
			 2005 Desert Hawk 1+ 2.8 
			 2006-08 Desert Hawk III 8.1 
		
	
	In addition to the systems listed above, the Hermes 450 UAS was declared In Service in July 2007. The Hermes 450 is not owned by MOD but is provided through a service provision contract with a Thales/Elbit consortium.
	The ongoing Watchkeeper tactical UAS procurement programme, worth about £900 million, began in 2005.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual level of spare part availability is for each (i) frigate, (ii) destroyer and (iii) submarine type in the Royal Navy.

Quentin Davies: There is no requirement to measure the availability of spare parts for Royal Navy vessels in the format requested as availability is measured at equipment, rather than platform, level. Instead, the Department holds data on the number of demands made for spare parts and whether the required delivery date for each line was met.
	There are over 700 different types of equipment fitted to vessels across the fleet, made up of over 450,000 line items. These include items that support the systems and equipment onboard the vessels themselves, as well as the medical and general stores and the weapons and helicopters that they carry. Records of all replacement equipment demands are not currently held centrally as they are classified. A new system is, however, being rolled out that holds details for some 270,000 line items across 400 types of equipment. Performance statistics for demands placed against those items on the new system in the last 12 months are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Vessel type  Percentage delivered by required date( 1) 
			 Type 23 Frigate 84 
			 Type 22 Frigate 85 
			 Type 42 Destroyer 88 
			 Swiftsure Class Submarine 88 
			 Trafalgar Class Submarine 85 
			 (1) Spares that were delivered in time to meet the required delivery date specified by the demander (e.g. ships' crews).

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase public understanding of agriculture and horticulture.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has undertaken a variety of activities to increase public understanding of agriculture and horticulture. These include:
	A public awareness campaign celebrating 21 years of DEFRA agri-environment schemes highlighting the importance and contribution agriculture makes to protect the natural environment.
	A regular stand at the Royal Show to highlight key agriculture and horticulture issues to the public.
	Regular ministerial attendance of a wide range of agriculture and county shows.
	A programme of ministerial regional visits to raise profile of key DEFRA projects in the regions.
	Commitment to developing the understanding young people have of both where and how their food is produced by supporting the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) led Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto.
	Working closely with DCSF, the Department of Health, and other stakeholders to support the Year of Food and Farming (YFF) in Education, an industry-led initiative to reconnect children and young people with the countryside.
	Supporting Open Farm Sunday, an industry run initiative, organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) with the objective of encouraging the public to visit farms, find out what farmers do, why they do it and why farms matter.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 485W, on agriculture: subsidies, how the £10,000 for additional costs was allocated.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 12 January 2009
	The £10,000 figure put against 'additional costs' was the estimate for dealing with 'appeals' against penalties imposed by the Rural Payments Agency on applicants who had a breach of cross compliance reported by the Environment Agency (EA). This relates to the time spent by the EA team in head office and the area inspector involved with the case.
	The figure is an estimate as no direct cost measurement is in place.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claims were made under the single farm payment scheme in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 January 2009
	The following table gives the total number of claims made to the Rural Payments Agency under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in England for scheme years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
	
		
			  SPS scheme year  Number of claims 
			 2005 SPS 119,964 
			 2006 SPS 109,354 
			 2007 SPS 106,341 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures are claims made and include, for example, duplicates and claims not subsequently valid for payment.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the administrative cost of processing an individual claim under the single farm payment scheme was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 January 2009
	The average administrative cost of processing an individual Single Payment Scheme claim in 2007-08 is estimated at £742.
	This figure was obtained by considering the direct processing costs and the total number of claims received. It is not however representative of the actual costs of processing individual claims because in practice, these vary in complexity and thus processing effort is required to validate and pay them.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claims of under  (a) £5,  (b) £10,  (c) £20,  (d) £50,  (e) £150,  (f) £200,  (g) £250 and  (h) £400 were made under the single farm payment scheme in 2007.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 January 2009
	The following table gives the value of claims made under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in England in 2007, falling into various size categories.
	
		
			  SPS claim value  Number of claims 
			 [le]£5 5 
			 ≥£5 [le]£10 6 
			 ≥£10 [le]£20 34 
			 ≥£20 [le]£50 591 
			 ≥£50 [le]£150 4,361 
			 ≥£150 [le]£200 2,303 
			 ≥£200 [le]£250 2,188 
			 ≥£250 [le]£400 5,157 
		
	
	The figures represent the number of claims which have a claim value before any deduction is made, for example, taking off EU and National Modulation.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce a de minimus level for single farm payments; and what the smallest such payment was in 2008.

Jane Kennedy: Under the recently agreed CAP health check, member states will be required to introduce a de minimis threshold, within defined limits, for 2010 EU direct payments, including the single payment scheme (SPS). For the UK, this means having the option of setting the minimum either in the range of €100 to €200 or in the range of one to five hectares. A consultation exercise will be undertaken during 2009 on how this discretion will be exercised in England.
	The smallest payment made so far under the 2008 SPS is £0.70.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of single farm payments in respect of  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09 remain outstanding; and what the sum of such outstanding payments for each year is.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the proportion and sum of single payment scheme (SPS) outstanding payments in England for the scheme years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008:
	
		
			  SPS scheme year  Percentage of total SPS payments outstanding for the scheme year concerned (rounded)  Value of outstanding SPS payments (rounded) (£) 
			 2005 0.005 £75,000 
			 2006 0.006 £93,000 
			 2007 0.03 £446,000 
			 2008 24.8 £400,000,000 
		
	
	For 2005 and 2006 the outstanding payments are held up awaiting the granting of probate for customers or the resolution of other legal issues blocking payment. Granting of probate is also the largest single issue holding up the remaining 2007 payments. The 2008 figure reflects the statement published on the Rural Payments Agency website on 22 January 2009.

Animal Welfare: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 1070-1W, on animal welfare: prosecutions, what steps are being taken 
	(1)  to increase the number of prosecutions for those abusing animals;
	(2)  to reduce the numbers of animals being abused.

Jane Kennedy: The introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has already had a significant impact on improving the welfare of animals. We believe the new welfare offence, tightening up the law relating to animal fighting and ending the loopholes that allowed miscreants to circumvent disqualification orders introduced in the Act will help reduce the number of animals being abused. We are also currently in the process of producing new codes of practice for keeping dogs, cats and horses. These will help educate the public as to how to better keep their animals. We are also working on new secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act to help protect the welfare of racing greyhounds, and new codes of practice on the keeping of primates by private collectors and the rearing of gamebirds.

Badgers: Vaccination

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards establishing a team to manage the implementation of the badger vaccine deployment project.

Jane Kennedy: A DEFRA project team has been set up to develop the Injectable Badger Vaccine Deployment Project. A project board has also been established to manage the process and long term implementation. This board includes DEFRA officials, representatives from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Animal Health and Natural England, and an independent farmer. The project team are currently planning the project to allow initial deployment once the vaccine is licensed in 2010.

Bluetongue Disease: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of a bluetongue outbreak on agricultural livestock in Copeland constituency.

Jane Kennedy: The symptoms of bluetongue and its potentially high mortality rate represent a significant threat to livestock welfare. Infection rates tend to be greater in cattle, but symptoms and mortality are generally more severe in sheep (studies in Europe suggest up to 30 per cent. mortality for BTV8).
	No data are available on the likely effect of a bluetongue outbreak on agricultural livestock in Copeland constituency. However, we have worked in partnership with industry through the Joint Campaign Against Bluetongue to encourage vaccination, the only effective tool against bluetongue, in Cumbria and across the country.
	The effects of bluetongue will be minimised in a vaccinated herd or flock. In unvaccinated livestock, given the experience in continental Europe, the effects of Bluetongue, and the economic consequences, could be significant.

Bluetongue Disease: Vaccination

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of doses of bluetongue vaccine available to protect agricultural livestock in Copeland constituency in the event of an outbreak of the disease.

Jane Kennedy: Under a voluntary vaccination programme in 2008, DEFRA underwrote the purchase of 28 million doses of vaccine, sufficient to vaccinate all susceptible livestock in England. This was made available according to priority areas as vaccine consignments became available. Sufficient doses were made available to livestock keepers in the Copeland constituency on 1 September 2008.
	Because uptake in the North of England was lower than hoped, there is a surplus of 12 million doses of vaccine, which is being made available for use in 2009, subject to expiry dates.
	DEFRA does not intend to underwrite further supplies of vaccine in 2009 but livestock keepers can purchase from their vets any of the three authorised BTV8 vaccines produced by Intervet, Merial or Fort Dodge. This flexibility provides farmers with a choice as to the best purchase options for their stock.
	Further detail on vaccination in 2009 is available in the Delivery Plan For Vaccination Against Bluetongue Serotype 8 In England (2009), published on the DEFRA website.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether there is a correlation between the numbers of reported cases of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and the areas affected by floods in 2007.

Jane Kennedy: TB herd incidence in all counties is monitored through DEFRA's routine monthly collection of TB statistics. It is not possible to make a formal assessment of whether there is a correlation between bovine TB and flooding.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence there is of any link between the incidence of bovine tuberculosis herd breakdowns and the intensification of dairy farming.

Jane Kennedy: No specific research has been carried out to assess the link between bovine tuberculosis (TB) herd breakdowns and the intensification of dairy farming.
	Surveillance data routinely collected and analysed by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency indicate that confirmed incidence in dairy herds is no higher than for other herd types when herd size is controlled.
	Philips 'et al' in their 2000 report on the role of cattle husbandry in the development of a sustainable policy to control 'M. bovis' infection in cattle recognise that cattle farming systems have increased in the intensity of production in recent decades, with increased milk yield and growth rates of cattle. However, they draw no conclusions between this and an increase in risk of Bovine TB herd breakdown. This report is available on the DEFRA website.
	While there may be a correlation between variables related to the intensification of dairy farming, such as increased herd size and risk of TB (e.g. Goodchild and Clifton-Hadley 2001), TB has a complex epidemiology and due to the number of variables that contribute to the risk of a TB breakdown, it is not practically possible to isolate the direct impact of one measure.
	Goodchild, AV and Clifton-Hadley, RS (2001). Cattle-to-cattle transmission of  Mycobacterium bovis. Tuberculosis 81 (1/2): 23-41.)

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress has been made towards distinguishing between vaccinated and infected  (a) cattle and (b) wildlife in relation to bovine tuberculosis.

Jane Kennedy: Tests to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (so called 'DIVA' tests) have been developed under DEFRA funded project SE3222: Development of improved diagnostic tests for detection of bovine TB, which is due to report this year. This work will be continued under project SE3233: Cattle TB Vaccine: Development of a DIVA test.
	A DIVA test for cattle is required because vaccines based on BCG will potentially make cattle react to the current tuberculin test as if they were infected with  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis). Badgers and other wildlife are not routinely tested for TB and therefore there is no need to develop a DIVA test for use in this species.
	Further information about these DEFRA-funded projects is available on the DEFRA website.

Compost: Licensing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether compost heaps at  (a) allotments,  (b) schools,  (c) churches and  (d) grounds of voluntary organisations will be exempt from proposals within the Environmental Permitting Regulations to require a £50 composting permit on anything which is outside a private individual's garden; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 22 January 2009
	Between July and October 2008, DEFRA, in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency, carried out a consultation to review the waste exemptions from environmental permitting. This included holding several workshops.
	The consultation proposals seek to retain an exemption from permitting for small scale community composting, which would include allotments, schools, churches and the grounds of voluntary organisations where they meet the other requirements of the exemption. The consultation also proposed that exempt waste operations would be required to re-register every three years and pay a registration charge.
	Officials are currently analysing the 286 responses to the consultation. No decisions have been made as to whether to introduce charging for some or all exempt waste operations. A summary of the consultation responses received and the Government's response to them will be published as soon as possible.

Disease Control: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to announce his policy on animal health cost sharing following his Department's consultation on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: We plan to consult on specific proposals for implementing responsibility and cost sharing for animal health shortly.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Kennel Club on plans to improve dog breed health.

Jane Kennedy: Officials and my predecessor have had discussions with the Kennel Club on ways to improve the health of pedigree dogs before, during, and since the Animal Welfare Act was passed in 2006. I also welcome the Kennel Club's decision to carry out a joint review with the Dogs Trust of dog breeding.
	I have met the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust for discussions.

Farms: Local Authorities

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities have disposed of smallholdings in each year since 1980; and on what date each such smallholding was disposed of.

Jane Kennedy: I regret that the information requested is not readily available in DEFRA and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by drawing on the resources of local authorities in England.
	I am aware that over the years, faced by growing financial pressures, a number of local authorities have taken the decision either to dispose of all or part of their smallholding estates. In 1970, the total number of smallholdings held by local authorities in England was 10,971 with a total area of 148,044 hectares. By 2007, the number of smallholdings had fallen to 3,138, a reduction of 72 per cent., and the total area had decreased to 94,063 hectares, a reduction of 36 per cent.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of food consumed in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008 which was produced domestically.

Jane Kennedy: In 2006, 49 per cent. of all food consumed in the UK was produced in the UK. In 2007 the figure was 51 per cent. This is based on the farmgate value of unprocessed food. The figure for 2007 is provisional. Figures for 2008 are not yet available.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of  (a) vegetables and  (b) fruits consumed which was produced domestically in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Jane Kennedy: In 2006, 57 per cent. of all fresh vegetables supplied in the UK were produced in the UK. In 2007 the figure was 55 per cent. In both 2006 and 2007, 6 per cent. of all fresh fruit supplied in the UK were produced in the UK.
	These estimates are based on volume. The figure for 2007 is provisional. Figures for 2008 are not yet available.

Gamebirds

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the welfare of gamebirds.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has commissioned research on the use of bits and spectacles used in the rearing of gamebirds for sport shooting. The research report is currently being peer reviewed and will be published shortly.

Landfill: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in meeting the UK's recycling targets under the EU Landfill Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The EU landfill directive does not set any recycling targets for the UK.
	England is making good progress towards meeting its share of the UK's landfill diversion targets for biodegradable municipal waste set in the EU landfill directive. Overall considerable progress has been made in recent years and England landfilled less in 2007-08 than its 2010 target. The further targets in 2013 and 2020 remain challenging, but achievable. DEFRA will continue to work with local authorities to build on the progress made to date.
	The devolved administrations are responsible for delivering their proportion of the UK targets, and are best placed to make assessments of progress made in their respective areas.

Landfill: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many waste disposal plants  (a) have been built and  (b) will be needed in the future to comply with the proposed recycling targets in the EU Landfill Directive; what the timetable is for building these plants; and how they will be funded.

Jane Kennedy: The number of plants required and the timetable for building them to meet the EU landfill directive targets will depend on the size of plants and the waste management strategies of each local authority.
	DEFRA is working with waste disposal authorities to ensure that the total waste diversion capacity delivered by existing and future plants is sufficient to meet the diversion targets for 2010, 2013 and 2020 and that the recycling targets set out in the Waste Strategy for England 2007 are met.
	These plants will be funded through a combination of public private partnerships (PPP) and private finance initiative (PFI) and some authorities are likely to utilise capacity available from the private sector.

Lighting

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what date the  (a) sale and  (b) use of iridescent light bulbs will end; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Under an implementing measure agreed by EU member state experts in December 2008 under the eco-design for energy-using products directive, though yet to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council, all frosted incandescent bulbs and clear bulbs above 100W will be removed from the market by September 2009. A phase out of 75W lamps in September 2010 and 60W lamps in September 2011 will follow, and by September 2012 all other incandescent lamps will be removed from the market. In addition, by September 2016 the least efficient halogen lamps will be removed from the market.
	There are no plans to regulate the use of incandescent lamps.
	In advance of this measure, a voluntary initiative led by some UK retailers and energy suppliers to remove incandescent lamps from sale began in January 2008 with the phase out of 150W lamps. 75W and 100W lamps will be removed by January 2009, 60W lamps by January 2010 and all others by the end of 2011.
	According to the Energy Saving Trust the use of energy efficient compact florescent lamps can save householders up to approximately £60 over the lifetime of each bulb.

New Technologies Demonstrator Programme

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme in diverting biodegradeable municipal waste from landfill;
	(2)  how many waste projects contract payments were  (a) reduced and  (b) delayed under the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme;
	(3)  how many waste projects under the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme had  (a) cost overruns and  (b) start-up dates later than those originally proposed;
	(4)  how many waste projects under the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme were completed in accordance with their original contract;
	(5)  how much his Department paid out under the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme (Waste Implementation Programme) in each year of the programme.

Jane Kennedy: The objective of the New Technologies Demonstrator programme (NTDP) is to provide impartial information and impart industry experience to waste stakeholders on new innovative technologies not yet established in England. The intention is to overcome the real and perceived risks and barriers of introducing such technologies in England. This is being achieved through the provision of impartial technical, environmental and economic information and performance data for the project facilities. This includes real experiences of planning and permitting, reaching financial closure and on wider issues such as informing policy development, for example the renewables obligation.
	An assessment of the effectiveness of the programme can only truly be made once all the technical and commercial information has been derived from the facilities and through the successful deployment of similar technologies in England over the coming years. This will also be ultimately achieved through assessing the total volume of wastes diverted from landfill.
	The programme runs until 31 March 2009 and following this date impartial technical papers will be produced on the performance of the facilities, which are being written under the guidance of the Technologies Advisory Committee.
	DEFRA has a commercial contract with each project, and payments are made against the achievement of milestones related to agreed deliverables, not to specific dates.
	Most of the facilities had start-up dates later than originally proposed, due to a variety of technical and commercial reasons.
	DEFRA is only providing a contribution to the final costs of each project. We therefore do not hold information on the project's own cost overruns.
	Of the total nine projects, two have withdrawn and one has completed in accordance with their contract with DEFRA. We do not envisage that all of the remaining six projects will complete their full contractual requirements by 31 March 2009 and as such there will be reduced payments made where this is the case.
	
		
			   Amount paid out by  DEFRA  (£) 
			 2006-07 4,145,797 
			 2007-08 9,728,367 
			 2008-09 to date 5,781,592

New Technologies Demonstrator Programme

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had regarding the participation of Scarborough Power Ltd. in the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme.

Jane Kennedy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment (Hilary Benn) has held no such discussions on this topic.

Recycling

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) the effectiveness of recycling markets and  (b) the impact of volatile commodity prices on the viability of the country's recycling strategies.

Jane Kennedy: The UK has tripled the amount of household waste it recycles in the last 10 years, and on the back of this there is a growing recycling and reprocessing industry in the UK, particularly for materials such as glass, newsprint and plastic bottles. Not all of the materials collected for recycling are re-processed into products in the UK: some are re-processed abroad, reflecting trends in the global economy. As with all commodities, the prices for recyclable materials rise and fall according to supply and demand. In the current economic downturn, demand for raw materials—including recyclable waste—has declined, leading to a fall in prices.
	The Government are monitoring the situation closely, working with the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the Local Government Association, the Environment Agency, the waste management industry and others. According to the best available information, markets for recycled materials have stabilised, though at lower prices. Recycling continues to be an economically viable and environmentally beneficial part of the UK's waste strategy, and we are encouraging householders to continue to put out waste for recycling.

Recycling

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) the cost of operating all recycling programmes in the country and  (b) the value of material collected under all recycling programmes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: No assessment has been made of the cost of operating recycling programmes in the UK. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates that the total value of materials recycled from households in England in 2007 was around £310-330 million.

Renewable Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance his Department has made available to local authorities which have decided to develop biogas projects.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA provides assistance to some local authorities through private finance initiative (PFI) credits to assist with their waste management solutions, these projects may include a biogas element.
	DEFRA also operates the New Technologies Demonstrator Programme to demonstrate innovative waste treatment technologies (including anaerobic digestion (AD)/Biogas) as possible alternatives to landfill. Under the renewables obligation AD plants, as an advanced conversion technology, will receive two renewables obligation certificates (ROC) per megawatt hour.
	The Organics Capital Grant Programme provides financial assistance towards the capital costs of plant, equipment and infrastructure for food waste processing capacity, including anaerobic digesters.
	The Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme supports the installation of biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat and power projects, including anaerobic digesters.

Waste Disposal

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many municipal collection vehicles collected from the kerbside  (a) food waste,  (b) recycled waste,  (c) domestic waste and  (d) garden waste in (i) 1998 and (ii) 2008.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.

Waste Disposal: Oil

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account he has taken of  (a) the provisions of the Waste Incineration Directive and  (b) the decision by Corus to cease accepting oil as a reductant in the provisions he has made for the safe (i) disposal and (ii) recycling of waste lubricating oil.

Jane Kennedy: The provisions of the waste incineration directive have applied to relevant facilities burning waste oil since December 2005. There has been no change in those provisions. We are aware that for commercial reasons Corus has ceased taking waste oil for use as a reductant in one of its steel plant. Other outlets for that waste oil exist including export to re-refining plant in other member states which can recycle the oil back into base lubricating oil. The Environment Agency is maintaining a close dialogue with the waste oil sector to ensure that waste oil can continue to be managed in an environmentally sound manner.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Aerials: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations transmit from the Winter Hill transmitter.

Andy Burnham: The broadcasters which use the Winter Hill transmitter are:
	BBC
	ITV
	Channel 4
	Five
	Digital 3 and 4
	SDN (S4C Digital Networks)
	Arqiva
	Century 105
	Rock FM
	Smooth
	Bauer
	CE (Capital Emap)
	Digital One
	MXR.
	In addition Orange, 3, Airwave and Vodaphone operate on or near the Winter Hill site.
	Ofcom has published a list of businesses which are licensed to use the transmitter, e.g. BT, on its website at
	<http://spectruminfo.ofcom.org.uk/spectrumInfo/licences? service=all&freqStart=&freqStop=&unit=GHz&ngrloc= sd660144&offset=0.5&submit=Submit+search&nw=&ne=&se= &sw=&googloc=&googoffset>=
	<http://spectruminfo.ofcom.org.uk/spectrumInfo/licences? service=all&submit=Submit+search&unit=GHz&ngrloc= SD660144&offset=0&page=.

Arts

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual growth rate of the creative industries was in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 20 January 2009
	 The annual growth rate of the creative industries in the UK for each of the last three years for which figures are available was as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2005-06 -3 
			 2004-05 5 
			 2003-04 6 
			  Source: DCMS Creative Industries Economic Estimates—based on Annual Business Inquiry data (ONS). 
		
	
	The drop in growth rate from 2005 to 2006 is the result of drops in GVA for the advertising, publishing and software sectors, which are among the largest of the creative industries.
	However, these data are taken from sample surveys and are subject to sampling errors. Therefore too much emphasis should not be placed on fluctuations in the figures.
	These rates do not include crafts and design, as figures are not available for these sectors.

Arts: Reviews

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's staff provided support for the Creative Britain Review.

Andy Burnham: At the time of Creative Britain's publication in February 2008 there were 3.3 full time employees working on it. A group of around 10 other officials in this Department also contributed to the research and drafting of the publication, while also working on other priorities.

Big Lottery Fund: Property

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) buildings and  (b) land are leased by the Big Lottery Fund; and what estimate has been made of the value of these assets.

Barbara Follett: The Big Lottery Fund have advised that they do not own any buildings or land but they are legal tenants of properties which they sub-let, all of these leases are short-term operating leases, and therefore no value is assigned to them by the Big Lottery Fund.
	Big Lottery Fund is the legal tenant of the following offices, which are sub-let to others:
	1st, 2nd and 3rd Floors
	1 Plough Place
	London
	EC4A 1DE.
	Ground Floor (Part)
	Apex House
	3 Embassy Drive
	Birmingham
	B15 1TR.
	3rd Floor
	Dominion House
	Guildford
	GU1 4BN.
	Elizabeth House
	Chesterton
	Cambridge
	CB4 1YW.
	6th Floor
	Baron House
	4 Neville Street
	Newcastle
	NE1 5NL.

Broadcasting Programmes: Television

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to increase the use of audio description on television broadcasts; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Communications Act 2003 sets minimum targets for the audio description of programmes by broadcasters. However, it is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure that these requirements are met.
	The steps taken by Ofcom to increase the use of audio description include a successful TV campaign to raise awareness, requirements that the Electronic Programme Guide indicate which programmes have audio description, and discussions with manufacturers to encourage them to provide accessible equipment.

Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the charity Catz Club has received from each of the Lottery funds to date; and on what dates each of the payments was made.

Barbara Follett: The charity Catz Club has been awarded £203,134 in lottery funding. £80,296 on 26 June 2003, £117,311 on 17 October 2003 and £5527 on 10 February 2006.

Children: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the  (a) staff costs and  (b) total cost of the Byron Review.

Andy Burnham: The information is as follows:
	 (a) During the six-month period of the Byron Review, it was supported by two full-time DCMS staff. Using capitation rates(1) this equates to £51,992.
	 (b) The total cost of the review (excluding staffing costs) were approximately £275,000. This included expenditure on consultation with parents and other stakeholders, and a comprehensive literature review. This expenditure has been incurred in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidelines and a value for money assessment.
	(1) Capitation rates cover average pay, national insurance and pension contribution costs, by grade, incurred by the Department.

Departmental Art Works

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Angus of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 1737-8W, on departmental property, what the  (a) title and  (b) Government Art Collection reference number was of the art work stolen from his Department in 2006.

Barbara Follett: The works of art listed in the following table were prints reported as missing from various Government offices in the UK and around the world and recorded in DCMS's Losses Register in 2006.
	
		
			  Title  GAC number 
			 Paradox No. IV GAC 12096/15 
			 Blackfriars from Southwark Bridge GAC 3295 
			 Lower Wessex Lane, Summer GAC 12360 
			 Lower Wessex Lane, Spring GAC 12254 
			 Strand on the Green GAC 6016 
			 Third day of Creation GAC 12705 
			 Gondola III GAC L983 
			 Hall of Christ Church Hospital GAC 15326

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 870W, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson).

Departmental Public Bodies

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department completed its review into its relationship with its non-departmental public bodies; and if he will publish its findings.

Andy Burnham: The March 2007 report of the Department's Capability Review recommended that the Department should develop a more robust, risk-based approach to engagement with its sponsored bodies and to managing performance. We have responded by carrying out risk assessments of our public bodies and tailoring the relationship with each body to the level of risk; working to reduce the number of reports required of sponsored bodies, and setting up an Advisory Board of sponsored-body representatives which considers strategic issues and ways to improve our working relationship. The Capability Review team will be looking at this as part of its re-review of the Department in February and March, and will publish a report of its findings.

Departmental Responsibilities

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the extent to which the functions and services currently carried out by his Department could be carried out by other Government departments.

Andy Burnham: There are no plans to carry out such a review. The Department's existence reflects the importance of the sectors we sponsor, which already account for some 13 per cent. of the economy and are central to the quality of life of every citizen. Following our Capability Review published in 2007, we have restructured and refocused the Department to ensure that we continue to increase our added value.

Digital Broadcasting: Selkirk

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the national help scheme for the digital switchover process in the area around Selkirk was initiated; and on what date communications for the help scheme began.

Andy Burnham: Under the scheme agreement, help scheme eligibility within a region starts eight months prior to switchover. Switchover in Selkirk took place on 20 November 2008. Using the Department for Work and Pensions data and data provided by local authorities and care homes, the help scheme contacted about 17,000 eligible people in the Selkirk transmitter area directly by mail to invite them to take up the offer of help. Of these around two-thirds responded.
	The scheme was mentioned in the very earliest publicity about switchover in Selkirk and when Digital UK announced the date for switchover in the Scottish Borders in October 2007. Further information about the scheme was available throughout 2008 through press and radio adverts, regional events and on screen analogue TV captions.

Digital Radio Working Group: Manpower

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's staff have provided support for the Digital Radio Working Group.

Andy Burnham: The Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG) were supported by up to four members of staff, with a varying degree of their time allocated to the project; taken together their time represented a full-time equivalent of 1.4 posts.

Horserace Betting Levy Board

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to begin the process of appointing a new chairman of the Horseracing Betting Levy Board; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: My officials are currently planning the appointment process in consultation with the Horserace Betting Levy Board in order to minimise disruption to its work, which includes facilitating discussions around the review of the Levy System. We hope to begin the process shortly.

National Lottery Commission: Consultants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by  (a) the National Lottery Commission and  (b) the Gambling Commission on recruitment consultants in each of the last five years; and which companies provided these services.

Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The National Lottery Commission has provided the information in the following table for spend on recruitment consultants.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost of recruitment agencies (£) 
			 2003-04 49,012 
			 2004-05 76,718 
			 2005-06 47,901 
			 2006-07 12,530 
			 2007-08 55,811 
			  Note: All figures include VAT. 
		
	
	The recruitment companies used were as follows:
	Capita Resourcing Ltd.
	Career Moves Ltd.
	Coby Philips (RBS Factors)
	Connect Executive Resourcing Ltd.
	Hays Office Support
	Jonathan Wren
	KPMG UK
	Morgan Hunt Public Sector Ltd.
	Parkway Associates
	PMR Ltd.
	Tate Employment
	Thomas International UK Ltd.
	Total Jobs Group Ltd.
	The National Lottery Commission is unable to provide the names of recruitment consultants used in financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05 except at disproportionate cost as their electronic finance system was changed for financial year 2005-06 onwards and to provide the information would require thorough examination of two years of invoices.
	 (b) The Gambling Commission has provided the information in the following table for spend on recruitment consultants. The Gambling Commission came into existence on 1 October 2005.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost of recruitment agencies (£) 
			 2005-06(1) 286,286 
			 2006-07 276,991 
			 2007-08 152,551 
			 (1) 1 October 2005 to 31 March 2006.  Note: All figures include VAT. 
		
	
	The recruitment companies used were:
	Adecco UK Ltd.
	Badenoch and Clark
	Capita Business Services Ltd.
	Carlisle Staffing
	Elan Computing
	Ellis Jay Consulting
	Frazer Jones
	G2 Legal
	Hays Office Support
	Hudson Global Resources
	Katie Bard
	Michael Page
	Morgan Hunt
	Odgers Ray and Berndston
	Pathway Resourcing
	PPS
	Reed Payroll Management

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 880W, on non-departmental public bodies, on how many occasions bodies for which his Department is responsible requested authority to incur expenditure above the delegated limits set out in their financial memoranda in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: In the last 12 months, my Department received 19 requests from our non-departmental public bodies for approval to incur expenditure above the delegated limits set out in their financial memoranda.

Press

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the future prospects of local newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I have had no recent discussions with the European Commission on the future prospects of local newspapers. However, the future of the local press is an important issue and is being taken forward under the Digital Britain project, which is shortly to publish an interim report.

Public Libraries

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance his Department plans to provide to local authorities to improve public access to library services.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is undertaking the Library Service Modernisation Review, which was launched by the Secretary of State on 9 October 2008. This seeks to define the Government's vision for a modern, world-class public library service and sets out some of the steps necessary to achieve it. There are already some excellent library services across the country, which serve their communities' needs and support the delivery of a range of outcomes. With the review's findings, which will be published in the spring, we aim to help empower all library services to reach this standard, and help the best to go even further.
	The Museums Libraries and Archives Council is the Government's strategic adviser on the public library sector, and it continues to work to deliver its Action Plan for public libraries funded by DCMS through grant in aid. More details are at
	<http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/strategies/library>.

Royal Parks: Nature Conservation

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Royal Parks Agency is taking to protect wildlife in London's Royal Parks.

Barbara Follett: The Royal Parks advise that they take a range of steps to protect wildlife in all the sites under their care and management, and each of the Royal Parks has a management plan which incorporates ecological objectives.
	The Royal Parks also advise that they carry out regular ecological surveys to provide data to inform management practice; biannual assessments and ongoing projects to improve the ecological quality of major water bodies; and where appropriate, employ consultants for specialist work. They also work in partnership with relevant organisations and with central Government to inform management and planning.
	Although all parks staff receive training in wildlife management as required, the Royal Parks also employ staff with specialist skills and knowledge who have specific responsibility for wildlife protection and biodiversity enhancement and directly protect wildlife through a range of works. Projects include feeding wildlife in extreme weather, physically protecting vulnerable habitats, and providing nest and roost boxes for birds and bats.
	The Royal Parks also create areas of conservation priority habitat, such as reed-beds, and manage and restore other habitats of biodiversity importance. The parks also include protected areas of land, such as Richmond Park which is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Management of these sites is undertaken in accordance with best practice and relevant legislation.

Sport England: Public Appointments

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1226W, on Sport England: public appointments, on what date the previous chairman left the employment of Sport England; and by what date he expects to appoint a new chairman and deputy chairman.

Andy Burnham: The previous chair of Sport England, Derek Mapp, resigned on 29 November 2007. Sport England board member, Michael Farrar, has been acting as interim chair since December 2007. The process to appoint a new chair and deputy chair is currently in progress and we expect to appoint a new chair by March and a deputy chair soon after. Both of these ministerial appointments will be made following an open competition regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Sports: Public Participation

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's 20 public service agreement 3 targets to increase the take-up of cultural and sporting opportunities by those aged 16 years and above from each of the priority groups have been achieved; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 20 January 2009
	Four out of the 20 targets that make up the overall PSA3 target have been assessed as achieved. These are:
	3 percentage point increase in those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds attending historic environment sites;
	2 percentage point increase in those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds attending museums and galleries;
	2 percentage point increase in those from lower socio-economic backgrounds attending museums and galleries;
	3 percentage point increase in those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds attending arts events.
	The assessment was made by comparing the baselines collected during 2005-06 with the final estimates from 2007-08.
	We always knew these would be very challenging targets, and we remain committed to increasing participation in culture and sport across all sectors of the community. Our programme of research is helping us to better understand and address the barriers to participation. The results should help us in giving more people the opportunity to take part.

Swimming: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities in Greater London have indicated that they have a short-fall in the funding awarded to them for the provision of free swimming.

Andy Burnham: I was delighted that of the 33 eligible London boroughs, 31 have chosen to participate in the free swimming programme.
	In terms of the amount of funding available, the Government made it clear when the programme was announced that councils would not be forced to take up the offer. Indeed, we were keen that the programme should encourage local authorities to put in additional funding and to stimulate partnership at local level.

Swimming: Public Participation

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of representations received by his Department from the Amateur Swimming Association on making two million more people active by 2012.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2200W, and the position remains the same.
	The Department has not received representations from the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) in relation to the policy of getting two million more people active by 2012. As the National Governing Body of Swimming, the ASA are working with Sport England to finalise their new whole sport plan. This will identify the contribution they will make to Sport England's commitment of getting 1 million more people playing sport by 2012, as part of the wider 2 million target. The ASA are also working with the Department, Sport England, the Local Government Association and others in the design and delivery of the Government's Free Swimming Programme.

Tourism: Olympic Games 2012

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to provide additional funding for tourism in respect of the London 2012 Olympics.

Barbara Follett: I have no plans to provide additional funding for tourism in respect of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in this comprehensive spending round.
	The Government remain fully committed to tourism, as illustrated by the Prime Minister in his speech at the National Tourism Summit on 8 January 2009.
	VisitBritain's strategic review, to be presented in February 2009, will make the most of the substantial amounts that the public sector puts into tourism.

VisitBritain: Consultants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much VisitBritain spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last five years; and which companies provided these services.

Barbara Follett: VisitBritain has provided the information in the table for spend on recruitment consultants:
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost of recruitment agencies 
			 2003-04 £262,578.32 
			 2004-05 £343,080.59 
			 2005-06 £346,885.31 
			 2006-07 £237,647.94 
			 2007-08 £323,997.97 
		
	
	The recruitment companies used were:
	360 Degrees Advertising
	A. T. Kearney Ltd.
	Absolute Appointments
	Accountants On Call
	Acme Appointments
	Adia Alfred Marks
	Agents Support Systems
	Barringer Technical
	Berliner Morgenpost
	Bhavya Enterprises
	Bond St. Personnel
	Branded Limited
	Brightwater Total
	British Council Hungary
	British Council Trading
	Catho Group
	Charles Summers Ltd.
	Commerce Partners Group
	Computer Futures Solutions
	Crystal UK Ltd.
	Dagnely
	Demel Limited
	Department of Culture Media and Sport
	Dezainwerkz Pte Ltd.
	Discover Momentum ll
	El Pais
	Elle Recruitment
	Emma Publishing
	Expat Web Services
	Fasco
	Foretagens
	GCS computer recruitment
	Glen info recruitment
	Gobal Solutions Ltd. (gsl)
	God People Ltd.
	Gafenstein freizeit
	Fafton Recruitment
	Hadfield Recruitment
	Haymarket Media Group
	Hays Human Resources
	Headway Recruitment
	Heron Solutions Ltd.
	HR-com
	Huntress Recruitment
	Llya pinassi
	Imprint Consulting Limited
	Info Edge (India) pvt Ltd.
	Inspired selection
	Javelin/Young and Rubicam Ltd.
	JFL search and selection
	Job DB Singapore pte
	Jobs DB Hong Kong Ltd.
	Jobstreet.com
	Jugglers publishing
	JWT Specialised Communications
	Kapoor Systems Limited
	Kershaw Leonard
	Knightsbridge Secretaries
	Koukoku no Gendai
	KP Personnel Ltd.
	Latpro.com
	Lindy Williams Ltd.
	Manpower
	Manpower KFT
	Manpower UK Ltd.
	Market Research Society
	Media Centrix
	Medialabor
	Meteorite Marketing
	Michael Page UK Ltd.
	Monster
	Monster Worldwide SC
	Monster Worldwide
	Monster.be
	Monsterboard.nl
	Monstertrak
	Morgan Hunt Public Sector Ltd.
	Mortimer Spinks
	Nationalevakature
	Office Angels Ltd.
	Originals
	Ortus/EMR group
	P.E. corporate
	Park Hyatt Toronto
	Pathfinders
	Pathway Resourcing
	Personnel Resources
	Poolia Parker Bridge
	Progressive Recruitment
	Public Relations Institute
	PW Recruitment Ltd.
	Recruitment International
	Red Pepper Advertising
	Reed (Elsevier)
	Reed Personnel Services
	Robert Half Ltd.
	Robert Half Technology
	Robert Walters Operations
	Rogers Publishing Ltd.
	RP Cushing Ltd. Total
	Sarah Buldum
	SCMP Publishers
	Seek Limited
	Seriously Digital
	Sigmar Recruitment Ltd.
	Student Employment Services Ltd.
	Tabs on Travel Ltd.
	tfpl Ltd.
	The British Council
	The EMR Group (Ortus)
	The Media Network
	The Mersey Partnership
	The Stopgap Group
	The Tourism Society
	Toronto Star
	Touchstone
	Tourism management
	Transition hrd consultants
	Travel courier
	Travel personnel
	Travelads total
	Travelweek
	Trident Hilton
	Tusma e.v.
	Uday advertisers
	Vacature
	Variety, Inc.
	VMA Group
	Wendy's Travel Personnel
	Williams (Hong Kong)
	Work Station Solutions
	Young Executive Recruitment
	Young Samuel Chambers Ltd.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many  (a) letters and  (b) e-mails received by the Government Equalities Office had not been responded to as at 15 December 2008.

Maria Eagle: At 15 December 2008, 30 letters from Members of Parliament to Government Equalities Office Ministers and 38 Treat Official and e-mail inquiries had not yet been responded to.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much has been spent by the Government Equalities Office on staff reward and recognition schemes since its inception.

Maria Eagle: Since its creation on 12 October 2007, the Government Equalities Office has not spent any money on staff reward and recognition schemes.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many permanent staff within the Equality and Human Rights Commission are  (a) staff without posts,  (b) part of a people action team,  (c) pre-surplus,  (d) priority movers and  (e) otherwise do not have a formal permanent position.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was established in October 2007. Jobs within the EHRC were available to staff from the commissions the EHRC replaced (the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Disability Rights Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality). Six permanent staff from a complement of 525 currently employed within the EHRC are yet to be matched to roles following their transfer from one of the former Commissions. These six are being helped to find suitable job matches within the EHRC. Five of the six are actively engaged on priority EHRC projects, and the other is currently on maternity leave. EHRC do not have any individuals who are part of a 'people action team', are 'pre-surplus', or are 'priority movers'.

PRIME MINISTER

Sir Fred Goodwin

Gregory Barker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on which dates and at which venues he has met Sir Fred Goodwin in his capacity as  (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and  (b) Prime Minister since 1997;
	(2)  how many times he had discussions with Sir Fred Goodwin in connection with his membership of the International Business Advisory Council; and when and for what reasons Sir Fred Goodwin ceased to be a member of the Council.

Gordon Brown: Sir Fred Goodwin was a member of the High-Level Group on the City. The meetings of the group are a matter of public record. My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what information the House of Commons authorities provide to Commons staff on workers' rights to opt out of the trades union political levy.

Nick Harvey: The House Service does not provide staff with information on their right to opt out of the trades union political levy. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform advises that individual unions must immediately inform their members if they wish to set up a political fund and give them the right to "contract out" of paying the levy if they wish to do so.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to the public purse has been of the Afghan Social Outreach programme; and how its performance is assessed.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK has agreed to provide $590,000 to fund the roll-out of the Afghan Social Outreach Programme pilots in the Helmand province districts of Nad-e-ali, Garmsir, Gereshk and Musa Qaleh until 31 March 2009. The programme will be monitored throughout its implementation and will be regularly evaluated including immediately after the completion of each phase of the roll-out. We will carry out monitoring and evaluation in conjunction with the government of Afghanistan, other international donors, the Afghan Independent Directorate of Local Governance, and local Provincial and District councils.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and what was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1512-13, to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell).

Departmental Press

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many copies of the  Morning Star publication his Department receives on subscription each week; and at what cost.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not subscribe to the Morning Star publication.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not record this information.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department is providing to the Ogaden area of Ethiopia in 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not target funding specifically to the Ogaden area of the Somali region of Ethiopia.
	In 2008-09, DFID will spend £17.4 million in the Somali region of Ethiopia: £11.9 million through the United Nations and NGOs in response to the humanitarian crisis; and £5.5 million to help improve education, health, water and sanitation, agriculture and roads in the region.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Malaria

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department has made in sub-Saharan Africa towards meeting targets on the provision of bed nets by World Malaria Day in 2010.

Ivan Lewis: Progress on halting and reversing the spread of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa has not been sufficient and there is a high risk that the target under Millennium Development Goal 6 will be missed. However, there has been some significant progress in some African countries. In Eritrea, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe, deaths from malaria have been halved by following the recommended measures, including providing bed nets. Of the 647 million people at risk in Africa, the percentage protected by bed nets rose from 3 per cent. in 2001 to 26 per cent. in 2006.
	Between 2000 and 2007 the Department for International Development (DFID) funded approximately 40 million bed nets worldwide (mostly for sub-Saharan Africa) and we estimate that these will have saved 660,000 lives. Over the course of 2008-11 we will provide at least 20 million bed nets in sub-Saharan Africa and it is estimated that these should save 330,000 lives.
	Our support towards the provision of bed nets is usually part of a larger package of measures to improve health and to combat malaria, through a number of programmes and health sector approaches which include the purchase and distribution of bed nets. It is therefore difficult to disaggregate the costs of the bed nets alone. For example, we contribute to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) who estimate that they financed 120 million bed nets between 2001 and 2006, during which period we provided approximately 8.7 per cent. of GFATM financing.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has visited Darfur to assess the humanitarian situation in the region in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for International Development (DFID) last visited Darfur in July 2007. DFID officials visit Darfur regularly to monitor the humanitarian situation, and provide monthly humanitarian updates to Ministers.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Debates: Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her policy to provide for an annual debate on tourism on the floor of the House.

Chris Bryant: Although the Government have no immediate plans to do so, the topic of future debates is kept under constant review.

Members: Allowances

John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House what discussions she has had with members of the 1922 Committee on the exemption of hon. Members from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of their expenses.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend has frequent private discussions with Members from all parts of the House on a range of issues relating to her ministerial responsibilities.

Ministerial Statements

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Leader of the House what guidance she gives to Ministers on making statements on Government policy to the House.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues when deciding whether an oral statement should be made to announce Government policy. This is done against the general principle set out in the Ministerial Code that when Parliament is in Session, all important announcements of Government policy should be made in Parliament, in the first instance.

Right of Search

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Leader of the House what meetings she has attended with Mr Speaker on the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford and the search of his office; what was discussed; if she will place in the Library a copy of records held by her Department of such meetings; and whether she has received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the hon. Member for North Essex for this information.

Chris Bryant: The Leader of the House has regular meetings with Mr. Speaker on a variety of subjects.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission: Debts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1368W, on the Child Support Agency, if he will place in the Library a copy of the overview of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission's policy on negotiating the recovery of debt.

Kitty Ussher: The Commission's current policy in negotiating arrears settlements with non-resident parents has been placed in the Library. However, it is worth noting that this guidance is under constant review and Members having future queries should refer this to the Commission.

Children: Maintenance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what value of child support arrears has been categorised as  (a) collectable,  (b) possibly uncollectable and  (c) probably uncollectable by the Child Support Agency, broken down by the smallest possible geographic area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 21W.

Departmental Advertising

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints about advertisements sponsored or funded by his Department were made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in each year from 1997 to 2008; and how many of these were upheld by the ASA in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: Between 1 January 1997 to 21 December 2008, 164 complaints about 122 cases were raised with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about advertisements sponsored or funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. None of these complaints was upheld.
	This information was provided by the ASA.
	Broadcast advertising complaints only became the responsibility of the ASA in 2004. Complaints prior to that date were handled by the Public Affairs team at Ofcom. These figures exclude data on broadcast advertising between November 2004 and May 2006. Changes in the ASA database systems in this period mean that extracting this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The ASA has stated that breaking the figures down into yearly totals would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Complaints

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to make his Department's customer information system compliant with Cabinet Office rules; and when he expects this will be achieved.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 January 2009
	The Cabinet Office published requirements for accreditation of IT systems only apply to those systems that were introduced after 1 July 2008, and are not retrospective. However, the Department is currently reviewing the technical options that will enable the Customer Information System to meet the new requirements. Until this review has been completed, it is not possible to confirm the timescale for this work.
	All IT systems that become operational from 1 July 2008 will be formally accredited.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract is held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no instances where the Department or its agencies have authorised, through any contracts, the storage of personal data overseas.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department appointed a senior information risk owner in accordance with the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government and the accompanying document Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action; and what grade the person holds within the Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department's head of legal group was appointed senior information risk owner as from 1 September 2008. Prior to that date, the Department's chief information officer performed the role. Both are directors general, and are members of the Department's Executive team.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the IT systems in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies are fully accredited to the Government's security standards.

Jonathan R Shaw: All IT systems that have become operational since 1 July 2008 are formally accredited.
	For systems that were operational before that date, there is no requirement under the Data Handling Review for formal accreditation. Nevertheless, all current systems are routinely assessed for compliance against the Department's Information Systems Security Standards, and are fully authorised for use. Any residual risks have been identified and are being managed.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the  (a) sex, (b) ethnicity,  (c) age,  (d) disability,  (e) sexual orientation and  (f) religion or belief of its staff; and what assessment he has made of his Department's performance against its targets relating to diversity in its workforce.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions holds the following information on the diversity of its work force:
	 (a) 68.5 per cent. of DWP staff are women;
	 (b) 10.2 per cent. of staff have disclosed that they are from an ethnic minority;
	 (c) The age breakdown of DWP staff is
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 16-24 4.4 
			 25-34 16.6 
			 35-44 30.5 
			 45-54 33.4 
			 55-64 14.5 
			 65+ 0.6 
		
	
	 (d) 5.7 per cent. of staff have disclosed that they are disabled.
	 (e) A new system to allow staff to disclose their sexual orientation was introduced in April 2008. As we would expect at this early stage, the disclosure rate has yet to reach a level that could allow the current data to be considered representative.
	 (f) DWP does not monitor the religion or belief of its staff at present but will start to do so in order to meet its commitments under the Civil Service Diversity Strategy.
	The Department's performance against its diversity targets is monitored regularly and is reported in its equality schemes. The latest available figures (from October 2008) show that DWP's performance against its 2008 diversity targets was as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Grade  Target  Representation in October 2008 
			  Ethnicity   
			 Senior Civil Service 5.0 4.2 
			 Grade 6/Grade 7 4.0 3.8 
			 SEO 4.0 4.2 
			 HEO 5.5 6.3 
			
			  Women   
			 Senior Civil Service PB2 and above 30.0 23.9 
			 All Senior Civil Service 39.0 36.8 
			 Grade 6 45.0 43.2 
			 Grade 7 45.0 45.1 
			
			  Disability   
			 SCS 6.0 3.8 
			 Grade 6/Grade 7/SEO 4.0 4.2 
			 HEO/EO 7.0 6.5 
			 AO/AA 6.0 5.2 
		
	
	Results show a marked improvement in the Department's performance since 2002, both at SCS level, and at feeder grade levels—with an increase in female staff at Grade 6 and Grade 7 of nearly 20 per cent. and ethnic minority representation rates more than doubling at grades HEO, 6, 7 and SCS over the same period.
	However, there remains work to be done—women and ethnic minority staff remain under-represented at senior grades, and there has been little change to the proportion of disabled staff at all grades since 2002.
	New targets for 2011 covering gender, ethnicity and disability will be published shortly. DWP does not currently have targets relating to age, sexual orientation or religion or belief.

Departmental ICT

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment of value for money he has made of his Department's IT contracts with  (a) BT and  (b) EDS.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since the realignment of the EDS and BT contracts in 2005 the overall combined spend with EDS and BT is on track to reduce by around 40 per cent. from the overall spend of £840 million in 2005-06 to around £508 million by 2010-11.
	At the same time IT operational performance has improved, with all 25 of the Department's major critical systems available 100 per cent. of the time in August 2008.
	The BT contract has also provided the Department with a single modern converged telephony data network that has enabled new contact centre technology, offering major improvement dealing effectively with the growth in customer call volumes.

Departmental Languages

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not retained centrally; to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2008 to question 245661, how many days staff took as sick leave from  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in the 12 months from 1 December 2007 to 30 November 2008; what the average number of working days lost per staff year in his Department and in each agency was during that 12 month period; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information was contained in my earlier answer on 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 575W, in the table headed 2008-09.
	In the notes to the previous answer, it was stated that the information contained in the table 2008-09 covered the period from December 2007 to November 2008.
	The following table provides the required information.
	
		
			  Data for 12 month period from 1 December 2007 to 30 November 2008 
			  Business  Working days lost  Average working days lost per staff year 
			 Jobcentre Plus 643,445 9.7 
			 Disability and Carers Service 52,429 9.6 
			 The Pension Service 100,445 9.4 
			 Other, including central directorates 73,781 6.8 
			 DWP 870,100 9.3 
			  Notes: 1. The table reflects data currently held on the Department's personnel computer system. 2. The averages shown are the average per full time staff year, rather than per employee, to take account of part-time workers. 3. Any difference between the sum of the agency figures and the total for DWP is due to rounding.

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Quantitative and qualitative research is an integral part of the development of communications campaigns. The cost of such is often included within those campaign development costs and the specific costs are not held separately. To attempt to extract those costs, covering a three year period, would be at disproportionate cost to the tax payer.
	My Communications Department has also conducted omnibus surveys on public attitudes to the Government's welfare reform programme and a small amount of research on attitudes to savings and retirement in the last three years.
	Details per financial year are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2005-06 50,000 
			 2006-07 32,030 
			 2007-08 46,880

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants received awards of disability living allowance on the basis of drug or alcohol dependency in each of the last 11 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Entitlement to disability living allowance is not dependent on a diagnosis or condition but relies instead on the care and/or mobility needs arising. In the case of someone with drug or alcohol dependency, needs may arise as a result of their substance dependence or a physical or mental complication caused by drugs or alcohol. Many people with drug or alcohol dependence have an underlying psychiatric illness. Information about the number of people receiving disability living allowance where the main disabling condition is recorded as drug and alcohol abuse is in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability  living allowance  cases in payment where the main disabling condition is recorded as drug and alcohol abuse 
			  As at May each year  Number 
			 2008 19,300 
			 2007 16,800 
			 2006 15,300 
			 2005 13,800 
			 2004 12,000 
			 2003 10,800 
			 2002 9,100 
			 2001 7,600 
			 2000 6,400 
			 1999 5,600 
			 1998 4,800 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and have been uprated to be consistent with WPLS data. 2. Although the preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, the 5 per cent. sample data has been used in this case because it provides some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of Disability Living Allowance claimants. 3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to Disability Living Allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. For example, a customer would not be awarded Disability Living Allowance on the basis of a diagnosis of drug/alcohol abuse. The decision is based upon the care/supervision and difficulty getting around as a result of the substance dependency and any associated physical or psychological complications.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent sample.

Employment Schemes: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the £1.3 billion funding announced in the Pre-Budget Report 2008 to help people find work will be allocated to (a) the public,  (b) the voluntary and community and  (c) the private sector.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 January 2009
	 The pre-Budget report allocated an additional £1.3 billion over CSR07 to help to deliver effective support to unemployed people and extend these services. The Department is deciding how best to allocate the additional money and we are currently re-planning right across the organisation and working closely with our delivery partners to ensure that the support needed by unemployed people is delivered in the most effective manner
	This money includes the additional measures that were announced in the pre-Budget report—expansion of the Local Employer Partnerships and further expansion of Jobcentre Plus' Rapid Response Service.

Health and Safety Executive: Bootle

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the Health and Safety Executive's equality impact assessment carried out for its move to a single headquarters in Bootle.

Jonathan R Shaw: Yes. An initial equality impact assessment (EIA) was published on the HSE intranet in November 2007. This will be placed in the House of Commons Library. The final EIA will be produced after the end of the How and Where We Work Programme, scheduled for March 2010.

Health and Safety Executive: Bootle

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the planned size and structure is of the new Health and Safety Executive Policy Group in Bootle.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive is currently carrying out a public consultation over its new strategy 'Health and Safety in Great Britain—be part of the solution'. The future size and structure of its policy group will be determined for the coming two years in light of HSE Board decisions on the strategy consultation.

Health and Safety Executive: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the 326 Health and Safety Executive staff in London, identified in How and Where We Work, were still working in Rose Court at the end of November 2008; and how many of them are expected to be doing so by the end of March 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: There were 351 HSE staff in London (including loans, secondments, career breaks and long-term special leave) identified as being within the scope of the How and Where We Work Programme at November 2007. The figure of 326 is the full-time equivalent of the 351 identified in the outline business case.
	At the end of November 2008 there were 199 in-scope HSE staff working in Rose Court.
	On the basis of confirmed staff intentions, it is expected that 162 in-scope staff will be working in Rose Court at the end of March 2009.

Health and Safety Executive: Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) replacement and  (b) temporary staff have been recruited in Bootle to fill the positions vacated in Rose Court by the Health and Safety Executive.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows:
	 (a) To date, 112 replacements have been recruited in Bootle to fill positions vacated in Rose Court.
	 (b) There are currently three temporary staff employed in Bootle replacing posts vacated in Rose Court.

Health and Safety Executive: Resignations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have left the Health and Safety Executive at Rose Court premises since July 2007  (a) on permanent transfers to other departments,  (b) as leavers to private sector,  (c) on retirement,  (d) as leavers under early release schemes and (e) on loans/secondments.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since July 2007 the numbers of HSE staff that have left Rose Court under the five categories are as follows:
	 (a) 84 on permanent transfer to other departments;
	 (b) 18 have resigned. Central records are not kept of their next job;
	(c) seven have retired;
	 (d) 12 have left under an early release scheme; and
	 (e) 19 are on loans/secondments.

Incapacity Benefit

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1382W, on incapacity benefit, what the total monetary value of the benefits paid to claimants whose recorded diagnosis includes drug dependency was in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Drug dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits. The medical assessment of incapacity for work is the personal capability assessment. This assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities relevant to work. A majority of people with a recorded diagnosis of drug dependency also have other diagnoses, for example mental illness, which results in their incapacity for work.
	We do record the diagnosis of incapacity that is written on a claimant's medical certificate. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated incapacity benefits expenditure on claimants whose diagnosis includes drug dependency (nominal terms) 
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 186 
			 2004-05 189 
			 2005-06 188 
			 2006-07 190 
			 2007-08 195 
			  Notes:  1. Incapacity benefits includes incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance payable to working-aged adults. 2. Figures include incapacity related income support expenditure for Credits Only claims. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest £ million. 4. Estimates are based on information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and published DWP benefit expenditure tables. 5. The expenditure figures are consistent with PBR 2008. DWP benefit expenditure tables can be accessed at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp

Income Support

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed the minimum income guarantee in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since its introduction.

Rosie Winterton: The answer is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of household recipients of pension credit in Great Britain 2003-08 
			   Total pension credit  Guarantee credit only  Savings credit only  Guarantee and savings credit 
			 November 2003 2,084,700 709,310 242,010 1,133,010 
			 May 2004 2,490,760 735,030 485,980 1,269,450 
			 May 2005 2,682,730 767,260 593,740 1,321,680 
			 May 2006 2,717,390 775,570 598,560 1,343,230 
			 May 2007 2,733,500 805,730 597,650 1,330,090 
			 May 2008 2,719,140 882,070 590,800 1,246,240 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of household recipients of pension credit in the North East 2003-08 
			   Total pension credit  Guarantee credit only  Savings credit only  Guarantee and savings credit 
			 November 2003 124,280 34,570 17,590 72,090 
			 May 2004 147,570 35,590 33,000 78,970 
			 May 2005 156,680 36,510 38,940 81,230 
			 May 2006 157,430 36,660 38,560 82,210 
			 May 2007 157,440 38,200 38,190 81,050 
			 May 2008 156,350 43,410 37,660 75,280 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of household recipients of pension credit in Tees Valley 2003-08 
			   Total pension credit  Guarantee credit only  Savings credit only  Guarantee and savings credit 
			 November 2003 29,750 9,200 4,420 16,150 
			 May 2004 35,000 9,450 7,840 17,730 
			 May 2005 37,160 9,500 9,300 18,350 
			 May 2006 37,420 9,480 9,310 18,620 
			 May 2007 37,480 9,910 9,140 18,430 
			 May 2008 37,470 11,270 9,070 17,120 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of household recipients of pension credit in Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency 2003-08 
			   Total pension credit  Guarantee credit only  Savings credit only  Guarantee and savings credit 
			 November 2003 3,960 1,120 620 2,220 
			 May 2004 4,710 1,170 1,120 2,420 
			 May 2005 5,030 1,210 1,280 2,530 
			 May 2006 5,130 1,200 1,290 2,640 
			 May 2007 5,120 1,260 1,280 2,590 
			 May 2008 5,190 1,480 1,270 2,440 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Tees Valley is made up of Hartlepool, Stockton, Darlington, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland local authorities.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data

Jobcentre Plus: Recruitment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 619W, on employment, how many staff he estimates will be recruited to  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time (i) temporary and (ii) permanent positions in Jobcentre Plus; how many of these appointments will be made from staff originally recruited to support the introduction of employment support allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question in reference to his Statement of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 619W, on employment, how many staff he estimates will be recruited to (a) full-time and (b) part-time (i) temporary and (ii) permanent positions in Jobcentre Plus and how many of these appointments will be made from staff originally recruited to support the introduction of Employment Support Allowance. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We are still planning for the impact of the Pre-Budget Report announcements at the moment. In practice, we try to accommodate applicants' preferences for working patterns, subject to business needs. Currently, around 35 per cent of the staff in Jobcentre Plus work part time and we anticipate a similar proportion of part time staff amongst our new recruits.
	We plan to recruit the majority of people to fixed term appointment contracts, normally for 1-2 years, although there will be local variations and this will include some permanent appointments. There will be periods of the year, at the start and during the summer months, where we recruit temporary staff to cover known peaks of work or scheduled leave. Currently, we do not plan to recruit significant numbers of temporary staff outside these periods.
	We are unable to identify through our Resource Management reporting system whether someone has been recruited specifically for Employment and Support Allowance backfill. However, in the first quarter of 2009, we anticipate converting up to 300 staff from temporary to permanent contracts, and although it is not possible to say how many may apply for permanent appointments, we encourage people to do so.
	Current Civil Service Commission rules mean that someone on a temporary contract can only secure a permanent appointment by applying through fair and open competition via one of our recruitment exercises. The Civil Service Bill allows for some recruitment flexibilities. One of these is the capacity to convert temporary employees to permanent status by a fair and objective process approved by the Civil Service Commissioners. This applies to employees at Administrative level at or after 12 months employment. DWP is currently writing a submission to the Commissioners on the process it proposes to use for the conversion of up to 300 temporary staff.

Jobcentre Plus: Recruitment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the list of responsibilities,  (b) the job description and  (c) the personal specification used when advertising a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser vacancy.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will place in the Library a copy of a) the list of responsibilities, b) the job description and c) the personal specification used when advertising a personal adviser vacancy in Jobcentre Plus. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I attach to this reply a copy of the information you require. A copy has also been placed in the Library. The responsibilities, role description and person specification outlined is not exhaustive and will sometimes be tailored within each recruitment exercise to reflect changes in business processes, changes in the provision available to unemployed customers and any particular initiatives within local labour markets.

Jobcentre Plus: Resignations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have left their post in Jobcentre Plus in each region in each month of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many staff have left their post in Jobcentre Plus in each region in each month of the last five years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Leaver information by region is not available prior to May 2006 due to data capacity reasons. The attached tables show the total number of leavers from Jobcentre Plus in each region for each month since May 2006.
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, May 2006 to October 2006 
			   2006 
			  Region  May  June  July  August  September  October 
			 East Midlands 21 11 30 21 41 21 
			 East of England 50 86 32 25 22 20 
			 London 53 64 48 56 69 46 
			 North East 18 23 25 47 62 45 
			 North West 51 88 55 42 68 71 
			 Scotland 44 32 40 48 52 54 
			 South East 57 29 38 35 39 24 
			 South West 58 33 46 28 36 31 
			 Wales 15 43 29 19 30 15 
			 West Midlands 46 68 47 58 47 48 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 24 46 47 31 55 44 
			 Unknown(1) 261 242 269 333 690 264 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, November 2006 to March 2007 
			   2006  2007 
			  Region  November  December  January  February  March 
			 East Midlands 27 34 29 46 68 
			 East of England 45 125 22 25 213 
			 London 56 37 270 43 45 
			 North East 50 56 93 35 142 
			 North West 47 57 67 72 125 
			 Scotland 33 124 62 109 239 
			 South East 40 42 66 101 108 
			 South West 32 28 70 85 49 
			 Wales 26 21 55 30 62 
			 West Midlands 31 45 49 33 59 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 32 34 70 44 107 
			 Unknown(1) 182 208 203 477 391 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, April 2007 to August 2007 
			   2007 
			  Region  April  May  June  July  August 
			 East Midlands 25 36 32 103 56 
			 East of England 14 24 22 36 37 
			 London 36 30 44 43 65 
			 North East 28 43 47 52 57 
			 North West 43 96 88 105 138 
			 Scotland 28 60 63 76 135 
			 South East 34 36 47 57 42 
			 South West 22 44 36 50 72 
			 Wales 16 33 40 42 50 
			 West Midlands 26 77 48 45 71 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 32 67 74 105 88 
			 Unknown(1) 129 2 2 2 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, September 2007 to January 2008 
			   2007  2008 
			  Region  September  October  November  December  January 
			 East Midlands 64 53 32 36 28 
			 East of England 41 30 28 24 34 
			 London 53 32 46 72 39 
			 North East 82 53 31 25 37 
			 North West 163 90 74 66 97 
			 Scotland 130 230 59 56 57 
			 South East 74 34 23 38 25 
			 South West 64 42 43 88 64 
			 Wales 100 44 39 94 50 
			 West Midlands 81 36 73 78 40 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 165 57 39 56 51 
			 Unknown(1) 1 0 1 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, February 2008 to June 2008 
			   2008 
			  Region  February  March  April  May  June 
			 East Midlands 32 39 25 35 34 
			 East of England 23 38 22 42 32 
			 London 28 38 34 51 30 
			 North East 32 48 56 31 26 
			 North West 90 160 140 90 52 
			 Scotland 113 59 113 76 70 
			 South East 163 47 28 44 30 
			 South West 127 65 35 46 41 
			 Wales 26 53 29 36 25 
			 West Midlands 32 40 49 43 27 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 82 99 86 60 56 
			 Unknown(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff who have left Jobcentre Plus by region, July 2008 to November 2008 
			   2008 
			  Region  July  August  September  October  November 
			 East Midlands 45 42 36 35 18 
			 East of England 29 57 80 37 25 
			 London 33 39 35 57 30 
			 North East 31 44 52 36 8 
			 North West 74 105 129 80 45 
			 Scotland 63 102 114 79 29 
			 South East 43 51 100 42 26 
			 South West 58 60 82 54 23 
			 Wales 52 35 47 34 19 
			 West Midlands 52 60 71 34 14 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 56 63 91 53 27 
			 Unknown(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1 )In a minority of cases it has not proved possible to identify the region that an individual works in. This is due to the data not being available in the Jobcentre Plus Resource Management system.  Note: The figures include those coming to an end of a temporary contract. This does not include people who have left Jobcentre Plus to take up a post elsewhere in the Department for Work and Pensions.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus.

Jobseeker's Allowance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants waited longer than the target average actual clearance time for Jobseeker's Allowance in the most recent available period; and what has been the average actual clearance time for Jobseeker's Allowance for the most recent available period.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many claimants waited longer than the target average actual clearance time for Jobseeker's Allowance in the most recent available period, and the average actual clearance time for Jobseeker's Allowance for the most recent available period. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The target for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) is 11.5 days. The latest AACT performance for JSA is 10.0 days for the month of November 2008. The year to date performance is also 10.0 days.
	To manage the spread of clearance times in each month, Jobcentre Plus collects information on volumes of processed claims over several time bands. These are shown in the table below for November 2008.
	The table shows that 67% were processed in 1-10 days and 33% processed in over 10 days. This does not map exactly to the target of 11.5 days but shows that most of our customers had their benefit processed within the target.
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 JSA claims processed in 1-10 days 184,277 67 
			 JSA claims processed in 11-21 days 76,581 27 
			 Total JSA claims processed (including those processed in more than 21 days) 276,544 (1)100 
			 (1) Including 6% processed in over 21 days

Jobseeker's Allowance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people flowed on to  (a) contributions-based and  (b) income-based jobseeker's allowance in each of the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 16 December 2008
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of flows onto jobseeker's allowance by type—quarterly 
			   Total income and contribution based  Income based  Contribution based 
			 November 2006 358,700 272,600 110,600 
			 February 2007 350,500 262,300 110,600 
			 May 2007 295,600 221,400 90,200 
			 August 2007 291,700 223,600 83,500 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Claimants can be in receipt of both income based and contribution based JSA, and therefore may appear in both columns. A total number of flows onto JSA has therefore been produced separately. 3. The information provided is the latest full year for which information is available as information for the quarter ending November 2007 is not available.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 percent terminations dataset

Jobseeker's Allowance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people flowed on to  (a) contribution-based and  (b) income-based jobseeker's allowance in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer  16 December  2008
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of flows onto jobseeker's allowance by type 
			  As at August each year  Total income-based and contribution-based  Income-based  Contribution-based 
			 1998 1,692,800 1,276,900 546,900 
			 1999 1,704,600 1,288,700 540,800 
			 2000 1,565,800 1,179,000 497,500 
			 2001 1,483,600 1,090,100 500,800 
			 2002 1,474,500 1,049,500 539,900 
			 2003 1,457,200 1,033,000 534,700 
			 2004 1,350,400 969,500 472,800 
			 2005 1,355,300 992,500 464,300 
			 2006 1,396,800 1,052,200 446,400 
			 2007 1,296,500 979,900 394,900 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Annual flows totals have been derived from quarterly data and based on the last four quarters of data available. 3. Claimants can be in receipt of both income-based and contribution-based jobseeker's allowance, and therefore may appear in both columns. A total number of flows onto jobseeker's allowance has therefore been produced separately.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 percent terminations dataset

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 2-4WS, whether he plans to revise the  (a) savings and earnings disregards and  (b) tariff income applied to jobseeker's allowance claimants' savings;
	(2)  if he will suspend the business assets disposal rule for new customers applying for jobseeker's allowance;
	(3)  if he will  (a) suspend and  (b) revise the (i) savings disregards, (ii) earnings disregards and (iii) tariff incomes for savings for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) customers moving from contribution-based JSA to means-tested JSA in 2009-10.

Tony McNulty: There are no plans to change the income and capital rules used when determining eligibility to jobseeker's allowance.
	The additional funding for this Department announced in last year's pre-Budget report and other measures have helped to ensure that people continue to leave jobseeker's allowance quickly, the great majority within six months of claiming. The new measures announced on 12 January will provide additional help for people who are still unemployed after six months. The Government's aim is to do everything they can to help people into jobs.

Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond substantively to  (a) Question 241441, on provision of emergency support for Jobcentre Plus customers, tabled on 4 December 2008 and  (b) Question 245228, on payment of child maintenance to parents with care, tabled on 15 December 2008; and what the reason is for the time taken to reply is in each case.

Kitty Ussher: I replied to the hon. Member's questions  (a) 241441 on 22 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1443-44W, and  (b) 245228 on 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1687W. I apologise for the delay in replying to these questions, which was due to the time required to conduct and check the relevant analysis.

Pension Protection Fund: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed pension payments from the pension protection fund in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The Pension Protection Fund was set up to protect members of eligible defined benefit and hybrid pension schemes. Individuals do not need to make a claim to be eligible for PPF compensation.
	The PPF commenced operations in April 2005 and the first schemes transferred to the PPF in December 2006.
	As at 30 November 2007 there were 1,167 members receiving compensation from the PPF, with 6,024 members due to receive compensation in future as it falls due. 75 members receiving compensation and 370 deferred members resided in the South East of England (excluding London).
	As at 30 November 2008 there were 7,703 members receiving compensation from the PPF, with 12,942 members due to receive compensation in future as it falls due. 439 members receiving compensation and 733 deferred members resided in the South East of England (excluding London).
	A breakdown of the aforementioned figures below regional level is not available.
	While in the PPF assessment period, the process which determines whether a scheme transfers to the PPF, the trustees remain responsible for the running of the scheme with benefits being paid to members at PPF levels when they fall due. As at 30 November 2008 there were 121,300 scheme members, across the UK, in the assessment period.

Poverty: Children

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to reduce levels of relative child poverty in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire.

Kitty Ussher: We have made substantial progress in tackling child poverty. 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty since 1998-99. As a result of the support we have introduced, families and children in the poorest fifth of the population are, on average, £4,100 a year better off than in 1997. The measures we announced in the pre-Budget report 2008 will increase this to £4,400 from April 2009. These measures will continue to benefit children in Hemel Hempstead and Hertfordshire.
	In addition, Government measures over the past two years will result in lifting around a further 500,000 children from relative poverty. Our plans for reducing levels of child poverty in England were set out in "Ending child poverty: everybody's business", which is available in the Library.

Sick Leave: Musculoskeletal Disorders

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the number of working days lost due to musculoskeletal conditions in the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The estimated number of working days lost in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, taken by people who believed that they were suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder, are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimated full-day equivalent working days lost (in thousands) due to self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders 
			95 (per cent.) C.I. 
			   Central  Lower  Upper 
			 2007-08 8,845 7,422 10,268 
			 2006-07 10,715 8,973 12,457 
			 2005-06 9,450 7,885 11,015 
			  Notes:  1. 95 per cent. C.I.: 95 per cent. confidence interval, the range within which we are 95 per cent. confident that the true value lies in the absence of bias. 2. Figures for earlier years are available on HSE's website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/0708/swit1.htm  Source:  Labour Force Survey

Social Fund

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individual applications to the Social Fund for  (a) community care grants,  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) crisis loans there were in each month from July to December 2008.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Discretionary social fund applications received in Great Britain from July to December 2008 
			   Number of applications received 
			  2008  Community care grants  Budgeting loans  Crisis loans 
			 July 52,820 132,360 236,230 
			 August 45,940 108,740 218,690 
			 September 49,560 128,660 235,660 
			 October 52,550 159,930 252,290 
			 November 52,250 189,940 236,740 
			 December 40,900 125,920 227,620 
			  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Social Services: Private Sector

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of regulation of private sector contracted welfare services for incapacity benefits claimants at a typical investment rate of £62,000 as proposed by David Freud.

Jonathan R Shaw: The White Paper (Cmnd 7560, published 10 December 2008) announced our intention to pilot the approach recommended by David Freud. One outcome from these pilots will be information on the cost of managing the contracts that we shall let.

State Retirement Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women he estimates will begin claiming the basic state pension between the end of the first full week in December 2008 and the end of (i) January and (ii) February 2009.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available on a weekly basis. The estimated numbers of people who are expected to claim the basic state pension from the beginning of December 2008 is given in the following table.
	
		
			   December 2008 to January 2009  December 2008 to February 2009 
			 Men 45,000 70,000 
			 Women 57,000 89,000 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand claims. 2. Estimates include claims from residents of Great Britain and those residing overseas. 3. Some individuals may not claim until some time after they reach state pension age (65 for men and 60 for women). 4. Individuals are considered here to begin claiming at the point at which their claim is processed.  Source: DWP forecasts

State Retirement Pensions

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology was used to calculate the additional entitlement to the state pension for those over 80 years of age.

Rosie Winterton: The weekly age addition was introduced in 1971 for those pensioners over the age of 80. This amount has not been uprated by successive Governments.

State Retirement Pensions: Overseas Residence

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of recent exchange rate fluctuations on UK pensioners resident abroad.

Rosie Winterton: Pensions paid to UK residents abroad are always subject to fluctuations in exchange rates which means that the local purchasing power of the state pension can go up and down.
	All economies are vulnerable to the effects of global financial markets. While the Government understands the difficulties current exchange rates are causing for some pensioners who choose to live abroad, no assessment has been made of the effect of recent exchange rate fluctuations on UK pensioners resident abroad.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reservations his Department is seeking in relation to the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department has been considering the implications of article 12.4 of the convention on the arrangements whereby a person may be appointed to exercise rights in relation to social security claims and payments on behalf of an individual who is for the time being unable to act.
	Article 12.4 states that
	"States Parties shall ensure that all measures that relate to the exercise of legal capacity provide for appropriate and effective safeguards to prevent abuse in accordance with international human rights law. Such safeguards shall ensure that measures relating to the exercise of legal capacity respect the rights, will and preferences of the person, are free of conflict of interest and undue influence, are proportional and tailored to the person's circumstances, apply for the shortest time possible and are subject to regular review by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body. The safeguards shall be proportional to the degree to which such measures affect the person's rights and interests".
	The arrangements for appointees are not at present subject to the safeguard of regular review, so we are now actively working towards a proportionate system of review. We are currently considering the terms of the specific text which will be necessary to make our position clear on this article when the UK ratifies the convention.

Winter Fuel Payments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which constituencies are covered by each weather station used for the calculation of cold weather payments;
	(2)  how many  (a) payments and  (b) recipients there were of cold weather payments in each constituency in each of the last five years.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information pensioners are required to provide to his Department to receive winter fuel payments.

Rosie Winterton: The vast majority, over 95 per cent., of winter fuel payments are made automatically, based on information already held in DWP records. In these cases there is no need for an individual to provide further information or to make a claim.
	However there are a small group of people who may qualify for winter fuel payments but cannot be identified by DWP records. This is usually because they are not in receipt of a state pension or other benefit administered by the DWP. These people need to complete a claim form so that their eligibility can be assessed.
	Information required by the winter fuel payment claim form includes: name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and bank/building society details so that we may make a payment direct into a person's bank account. People are also asked to declare, for example, whether there is anyone else aged 60 or over in their household and whether they are in hospital or a care home. The claim form is available from the Pension Service website.

Winter Fuel Payments: Sight Impaired

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 17 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2226W, on sight impaired: disability living allowance, how much it would cost to extend the winter fuel payment to the same group of people with severe sight impairment.

Jonathan R Shaw: Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over. The cost of such a change would depend on the precise definition used. On the same basis as used in the previous question, the estimated annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to all people under 60 with severe sight impairment is £4 million.
	This estimate is based on a £200 winter fuel payment.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many accidents at work have occurred involving individuals who have been exposed to high temperatures at work in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 January 2009
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Injury severity  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1)  Total 
			 Fatal 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Major 2 6 4 12 3 29 
			 Over 3 day 1 2 4 12 3 23 
			 Total 3 8 8 25 6 53 
			 (1) Provisional  Source:  Reports submitted under the Reporting of the Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many penalty notices were issued to persons who were drunk and disorderly in Essex in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Data on the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over for being drunk and disorderly, in the Essex police force area from 2004 to 2007 are given in the following table. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over for offences of being drunk and disorderly( 1)  in the Essex police force area, 2004 to 2007( 2) 
			   Number 
			 2004 738 
			 2005 672 
			 2006 905 
			 2007 478 
			 (1) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises—Licensing Act 1872, section 12; Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour—Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what materials are used by her Department and its agencies to ensure young people are aware of the implications of alcohol abuse for their  (a) home life,  (b) health and  (c) education.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The 10-year Drug Strategy "Protecting families and communities", published in February 2008, set out a series of steps to address the problems associated with young people's misuse of drugs, alcohol and volatile substances.
	The strategy committed Government to conduct a review of drug and alcohol education. This has taken place and Ministers announced their intention to make PSHE statutory in October 2008, in recognition of the key role it plays in equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to lead healthy and successful lives. At the same time, Ministers launched an independent review of how this might be achieved in the most effective and practicable way. Sir Alasdair Macdonald, head teacher of Morpeth school in Tower Hamlets, is conducting the review and will report to Ministers in April 2009. Proposals for the statutory implementation of PSHE will be the subject of a full public consultation.
	Frank, the joint DCSF, Department of Health and Home Office drugs advice and information campaign for young people, continues to play a key role in helping to prevent drug use among young people (11-18) by changing their attitudes and perceptions towards drugs and drug users. A new Frank Cocaine campaign was launched in December 2008. Awareness of Frank remains very high: in the latest tracking study (report July 2008) 83 per cent. of young people were aware of the campaign. This figure is unchanged from 2007.
	The Drug Strategy also committed to publish guidance to help the commissioning and delivery of treatment services with a greater focus on the needs of parents and families, and to that effect the National Treatment Agency (NTA) published carers' guidance in October 2008. The NTA will also shortly be publishing commissioning guidance for local drug and alcohol commissioners and partnerships which will have a greater focus on the needs of families.
	To meet our commitment to provide intensive support to substance misusing parents through a range of recently established family interventions, targeting families at risk, the substance misuse agenda has been included in remit letter for local parenting support advisers and in the broad remit for Parenting and Early Intervention projects. Furthermore, Family Intervention Pilots have been extended to 500 further families affected by substance misuse. The NTA is working with DCSF in the development of the Child Poverty Family Intervention Projects in 10 pilot areas during 2008-09. This will be rolled out to further areas in the next two years.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged  (a) under 16 and  (b) between 16 and 19 years old received penalty notices for disorder for being drunk and disorderly in 2007.

Alan Campbell: Data on the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged between 16 and 19 for being drunk and disorderly in 2007 are given in the following table. Data on the number of PNDs issued are published for persons aged 16 and over only.
	
		
			  N umber of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 to 19 years for offences of being drunk and disorderly( 1) , England and Wales, 2007( 2) 
			  Age  Number 
			 16 936 
			 17 2,111 
			 18 4,182 
			 19 3,989 
			 (1) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises—Licensing Act 1872, section 12; Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour—Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Crime: Motor Vehicles

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of car theft in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Alan Campbell: Reducing car theft remains a Government priority and we are seeking to maintain the reductions that were achieved in exceeding PSA1. We expect Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs ) to prioritise this crime where it is identified as a local problem as part of their work to reduce Serious Acquisitive Crime (SAC). It has been included within the definition of Serious Acquisitive Crime as part of our new set of PSAs and is included under the SAC indicator (NI 16) in the National Indicator Set for Local Area Agreements. NI 16 has been chosen as a priority indicator in the Middlesbrough Local Area Agreement. While Redcar and Cleveland have decided not to include NI16 in their Local Area Agreement indicators, the CDRP has an action plan in place and activity is under way to tackle and reduce vehicle crime.
	Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in the North East region undertake a range of activities based upon local priorities identified through strategic assessments that have contributed to this success. This work includes:
	offering targeted crime prevention advice in 'hot spot areas' to help prevent victimisation and repeat victimisation
	working to secure car park areas
	targeting prolific offenders in 'hot spot' areas
	making regular use of automatic number plate recognition operations
	undertaking operations with a 'sting' vehicle equipped with CCTV camera at peak times in 'hot spot' areas.

Crimes of Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) burglaries,  (b) violent crimes and  (c) thefts were reported in the Metropolitan Police Force area in each of the last 10 years; and what the detection rate in each such year was.

Alan Campbell: The available information relates to offences recorded by the police and is given in the following tables.
	A number of changes have been made to recorded crime in response to suggestions in the two reviews of crime statistics. One such change is that the term 'violent crime' is no longer used in connection with the recorded crime statistics and we now provide figures for violence against the person.
	It should be noted that non-sanction detections that contribute to the percentage change in detection rates have fallen in recent years reflecting a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections of crime where no further action is taken. For this reason overall detections over time are not fully comparable. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offences recorded and detection rates for selected offences in the Metropolitan Police area—1998-99 to 2001-02( 1) 
			   Burglary  Violence against the person  Theft offences( 2) 
			  Financial year  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage)  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage)  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage) 
			 1998-99 123,861 13 131,549 44 383,665 14 
			 1999-2000 129,145 10 156,880 31 426,235 10 
			 2000-01 112,375 10 155,263 28 415,148 9 
			 2001-02 116,026 10 161,351 26 443,523 9 
			 (1) The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other thefts. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of offences recorded and detection rates for selected offences in the Metropolitan Police area—2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) 
			   Burglary  Violence against the person  Theft offences( 2) 
			  Financial year  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage)  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage)  Number of offences  Detection rate (percentage) 
			 2002-03 113,427 13 178,782 24 463,665 8 
			 2003-04 105,361 12 186,187 26 448,818 8 
			 2004-05 101,474 13 201,923 43 412,264 10 
			 2005-06 103,510 15 197,262 45 400,387 11 
			 2006-07 96,728 16 182,354 31 365,714 10 
			 2007-08 93,894 13 172,741 36 332,156 12 
			 (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other thefts.

Crimes of Violence: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of violence against the person were recorded  (a) in total and  (b) per 100 population in (i) Uxbridge constituency and (ii) the London borough of Hillingdon between 1997 and 2008.

Alan Campbell: The available data relate to recorded offences of violence against the person in the Hillingdon Basic Command Unit. Data at Basic Command Unit level for violence against the person are only available from 1999-2000. Data for Uxbridge are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded offences of violence against the person in the Hillingdon Basic Command Unit -1999-2000 to 2001-02( 1) 
			   Number of offences  Rate per 100 population 
			 1999-2000 3,713 1.5 
			 2000-01 4,094 1.6 
			 2001-02 4,766 1.9 
			 (1) The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences of violence against the person in the Hillingdon Basic Command Unit—2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) 
			   Number of offences  Rate per 100 population 
			 2002-03 4,983 2.0 
			 2003-04 5,222 2.1 
			 2004-05 5,921 2.4 
			 2005-06 6,261 2.5 
			 2006-07 5,911 2.3 
			 2007-08 5,882 2.4 
			 (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Driving Under Influence: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drink driving offences have been recorded in the area served by the Northern Basic Command Unit of Cambridgeshire Constabulary in each quarter since May 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: Offences of driving while unfit through drink are summary offences and do not feature in the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
	The Home Office does collect data on recorded offences of 'Causing death by dangerous or careless driving' (including whilst under the influence of drink or drugs). However, it is not possible to determine from the information held centrally which, if any, of these offences were committed while the offender was under the influence of alcohol.

Driving Under Influence: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of  (a) drug and  (b) drink driving were recorded in (i) Uxbridge constituency and (ii) the London Borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: Offences of driving while unfit through drugs or drink are summary offences and do not feature in the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
	The Home Office does collect data on recorded offences of "Causing death by dangerous or careless driving (including whilst under the influence of drink or drugs)". However, it is not possible to determine from the information held centrally which, if any, of these offences were committed while the offender was under the influence.
	The available information for the above offence is given in the following table. The data relate to the Hillingdon basic command unit and data at this level are only available from 2000-01. Data for Uxbridge are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Recorded offences of causing death by dangerous or careless driving (including while under the influence of drink or drugs) in the Hillingdon basic command unit 
			   Number of offences 
			 2000-01 0 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 1 
			 2003-04 1 
			 2004-05 2 
			 2005-06 3 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 0

Drugs: Statistics

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the announcement on her Department's Research, Development and Statistics website, why the National Statistics bulletin Drug Offenders England and Wales is being withdrawn with immediate effect.

Alan Campbell: The decision to withdraw this bulletin has been made for several reasons.
	Responsibility for offender statistics passed to the Ministry of Justice last year. MOJ has absorbed the drug offender series into its overall offender statistics outputs, such as the Criminal Statistics command paper. My statisticians conducted an extensive consultation exercise, both internally and externally, which revealed dwindling demand for a separate drug offenders bulletin. They have been assured by their MOJ colleagues, that any material previously published in the Drug Offenders England and Wales bulletin would continue be available either in MOJ publications or on request.
	The recommendation to withdraw this bulletin was endorsed by the national statistician, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, the chief statistician and the chief scientific adviser in the Home Office and myself.

Electronic Surveillance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which agencies outside the United Kingdom are permitted to undertake remote surveillance of the use of an individual's computer in the UK; and under what legislation such surveillance is permitted.

Vernon Coaker: None. Such activity without the system owner's permission would constitute an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Extradition

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited from the UK to  (a) Zimbabwe,  (b) Colombia,  (c) Cuba,  (d) Iraq,  (e) Israel and  (f) the Russian Federation in each year since 1997.

Meg Hillier: Statistical information of this kind is only available from 1998 onwards. In the period from 1998 to 2008, the United Kingdom extradited three persons to Israel (one in 1998 and two in 2006). There were no extraditions to the other countries listed.

Human Trafficking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department is using to ascertain the number of people who have been trafficked into the UK; and if she will place in the Library a copy of that research.

Alan Campbell: The covert nature of the crime makes it very difficult to provide an accurate assessment of the scale of the problem faced by the United Kingdom.
	The UK Human Trafficking Centre and the Serious Organised Crime Agency continue to develop our knowledge of the scale of human trafficking through a variety of means, including analysis of the outcomes of Operation Pentameter 2 and ongoing intelligence collation. In addition to the work being undertake by these agencies, funding is in place for dedicated intelligence officers in each of the 10 Regional Intelligence Units in England and Wales to focus on organised immigration crime, including human trafficking.
	We expect to have an up to date assessment of the extent of the problem faced by the UK by the end of the year.

Human Trafficking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what protocols her Department operates when managing people deemed to have been trafficked.

Alan Campbell: On 17 December 2008 we ratified the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings. By April 2009 at the latest we will introduce a reflection period of 45 days and a renewable one year residence permit for identified victims of human trafficking. Additionally we are introducing formal identification measures under a national referral mechanism by which victims are systematically identified by a competent authority and referred to appropriate support.
	This will further strengthen our existing collaborative way of identifying, referring and supporting victims.

Identity Cards: Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether identity cards will be produced  (a) in English and Welsh,  (b) in English only and  (c) in Welsh only when asked for by an individual;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the extra costs of producing identity cards in Welsh and English instead of in English.

Meg Hillier: The initial identity cards issued to British citizens, starting in the second half of 2009 to airside workers at a small number of airports, including Manchester and London city airports, will have headings in English and French in line with travel document standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This follows the practice for passports.
	The Government are looking at the possibility of issuing identity cards in Wales that would in addition have headings in the Welsh language and, while it cannot be for the initial cards issued from 2009, we are exploring this for the next generation of identity cards.
	Details of the cost of doing so are not yet available.

Immigration: Appeals

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of appeals against determination by the UK Border Agency and its predecessors were successful in each of the last 10 years.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The latest figures are available from the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 2007 ("Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2007"), which was published in August 2008. This bulletin indicates that, between 1998 and 2007, (a) 874,885 appeals were lodged with the asylum and immigration tribunal, or its jurisdictional predecessors, against decisions by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and (b) 250,930 of those appeals were allowed (comprising asylum, in-country, entry clearance and other non-asylum cases). The bulletin only provides figures between the years of 1997 to 2007 as figures for 2008 are not yet available.
	It should be noted that the following figures relate to immigration adjudicator/judge decisions and do not include immigration appeals tribunal decisions or asylum and immigration tribunal reconsiderations of appeals for each of the last 10 years as this information is not available in the published bulletin.
	
		
			   Total determined  Allowed  Proportion (percentage) 
			 1998 38,200 5,200 14 
			 1999 28,610 7,630 27 
			 2000 27,130 5,960 22 
			 2001 56,815 13,335 24 
			 2002 84,260 21,910 26 
			 2003 108,350 29,025 26 
			 2004 109,220 34,245 31 
			 2005 100,250 30,440 30 
			 2006 167,310 54,860 32 
			 2007 154,740 48,365 31 
			 Total 874,885 250,930 29 
			  Notes:  1. Prior to April 2005, the figures are based on data supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit within the Home Office. From April 2005 the figures are based on information supplied by the Ministry of Justice.  2. The figures for 1997, 1999, and 2000 are rounded to the nearest 10, figures for 1998 rounded to the nearest 100, and figures for 2001 onwards are rounded to the nearest five. All percentages are calculated by the Ministry of Justice using the figures contained in the bulletin and are rounded to the nearest whole number.  3. The bulletin states that some of the figures provided for 2005 and 2006 have been revised. It also states that the figures for 2007 are provisional only.

Offensive Weapons

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) prosecuted,  (b) convicted of knife possession and  (c) sentenced to prison for knife possession between (i) June and October 2008 and (ii) June and October 2007.

Vernon Coaker: Data showing the number of people proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and given a custodial sentence at all courts for knife possession, from 1 June 2006 to 31 October 2006 and from 1 June 2007 to 31 October 2007 in England and Wales, are in the following table. Data for 2008 are due to be available in the autumn of 2009.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Information on knife crime has also been published on 22 January 2009 as part of the quarterly crime statistical bulletin.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and given immediate custody at all courts, for knife possession( 1) , England and  Wales for the periods 1 June 2006 to 31 October 2006 and 1 June 2007 to  31 October 2007( 2, 3, 4) 
			   2007  2006 
			 Proceeded against 3,258 3,288 
			 Found guilty 2,720 2,729 
			 Given immediate custody 499 480 
			 (1 )Includes the following offences and statutes;  Having an article with blade or point in public place—Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1)(5)(a) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1).  Having an article with blade or point on school premises—Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (2)(5)(b) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). (2 )The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  E & A Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Offensive Weapons: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were  (a) cautioned and  (b) prosecuted for attempting to purchase a knife under age in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people were  (a) cautioned and  (b) prosecuted for selling a knife to a young person under age in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons cautioned and proceeded against for selling a knife or other article with a blade to a young person under age in England and Wales from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) are given in the following table.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	It is not an offence to 'attempt to purchase a knife under age'—therefore no data can be supplied.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1)  and defendants proceeded against for selling a knife or other article with a blade to a young person under age, England and Wales, 1998 to 2007( 2, 3) 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Cautioned — 1 — — — — 1 1 2 — 
			 Proceeded against 1 2 — 4 4 9 6 21 43 32 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Organised Crime: Databases

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the European database of dangerous offenders to prevent homicide associated with organised crime is expected to be operational; and what funding her Department has allocated to the database.

Alan Campbell: Work is ongoing to reach an agreed position with EU member states. No funding has been allocated by the Home Office.

Police and Community Support Officers: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there were in Crosby in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available data for the Basic Command Unit of Sefton are given in the following table. Data are not collected by parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			  Police officer and police community support officer strength (FTE)( 1)  for the Basic Command Unit( 2)  of Sefton as at 31 March in the given years 
			   Police officers  PCSOs( 3) 
			 2003 433 — 
			 2004 440 — 
			 2005 479 — 
			 2006 505 - 
			 2007 523 57 
			 2008 501 68 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Data by BCU were first collected in 2002-03. (3) Police community support officer data at BCU level were first collected in 2006-07.

Police: Standards

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her statement of 4 December 2008 on police targets,  Official Report, column 158, which targets have been removed.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The Policing Green Paper—From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing Our Communities Together—stated that
	"with one exception the Home Office will neither set nor maintain top-down numerical targets for individual police forces—a significant gesture of trust and reduction of bureaucracy."
	The Government have already removed the targets for the police that concerned frontline officers the most, such as the target to bring more offences to justice. Following the Green Paper announcement, the Government have removed centrally set, top-down targets for police forces relating to efficiency, and the 10-year race employment targets come to an end at 31 March 2009, when a final report against a centrally set progression target will also be made.
	Going forward, we will expect police authorities to set their own local targets on these issues.
	The Government have also set multi-agency targets for Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) for 2008-09 on enforcement (including fail to appear (FTA) warrant enforcement, community penalty breach enforcement and licence recall), asset recovery and the Persistent Young Offender pledge. LCJBs are multi-agency partnerships which include the police, and LCJBs' targets measure jointly the performance of the police and their partner agencies. In response to the Policing Green Paper, there will be no top-down numerical targets for LCJBs for 2009-10. Instead, LCJBs have been asked to set their own local targets according to local priorities and circumstances.
	The one remaining target the Government will set for police forces will be on confidence that they and their partners are tackling the crime and antisocial behaviour issues that matter most locally.

Proceeds of Crime: Terrorism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse of operating the suspicious activity reports regime has been since its creation.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 14 January 2009
	Suspicious activity reports (SARs) are submitted to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Approximately £20,080,465 has been spent on the operation of the UKFIU since April 2006, when SOCA assumed responsibility for it. This figure includes the running costs of the SARs Transformation Project, an IT-enabled business change project focused entirely on improving the SARs regime.
	In addition, the overhead costs associated with running estates and IT for the UKFIU in 2008 was approximately £1,280,000.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department's definition of a prostitute working for another person's gain applies where the other person is  (a) a receptionist,  (b) also working as a prostitute,  (c) working as a prostitute on the same premises,  (d) a partner or a flatmate who shares premises with the prostitute woman or man,  (e) a landlord letting the premises where the prostitute woman or man is working and  (f) a dependant.

Alan Campbell: We announced our intention to include the offence of paying for sexual services of a prostitute controlled for gain in the Policing and Crime Bill. An explanation of the intended application of this offence will be given during the passage of this Bill.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department's definition of a prostitute working for another person's gain applies in circumstances where the prostitute has entered into a working relationship with another person in the absence of force or coercion.

Alan Campbell: We have included the offence of paying for sexual services of a prostitute controlled for gain in the Policing and Crime Bill, which was introduced on 18 December. An explanation of the intended application of this offence will be given during the passage of this Bill.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has  (a) undertaken,  (b) commissioned and  (c) evaluated on the average age at which people first enter prostitution; and if she will place in the Library a copy of each such piece of research.

Alan Campbell: The Government's consultation paper on prostitution, "Paying the Price", provides a summary of research on the age of first involvement in prostitution. This paper is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/paying_the_price.pdf?view=Binary.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services and schemes are available to people working as prostitutes to assist them with  (a) housing,  (b) poverty,  (c) childcare,  (d) drug addiction and  (e) health care; how much is planned to be spent on each such service or scheme in 2008-09; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: Support for individuals in relation to these issues is the responsibility of appropriate local agencies and funding is devolved accordingly.
	To support local partnerships the Home Office has produced specific guidance for criminal justice integrated teams to assist in improving the engagement of those individuals with a Class A drug problem involved in prostitution, and to help develop effective working practices with specialist projects.
	As part of the co-ordinated prostitution strategy the Government will develop guidance for local areas on commissioning services for those involved in prostitution.

Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what schemes and services are available to people working as prostitutes to assist them in reporting incidents of violence and abuse.

Alan Campbell: We have expanded the range of services supporting victims of sexual violence including those involved in prostitution, through the development of sexual assault referral centres (SARCS), and independent sexual violence advisers (26 SARCS are now up and running, with one in every police force area planned by 2011). In order to implement one of the recommendations of the Tackling Demand Review, and a key action of the Government's Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy we will be developing comprehensive guidance, including on advocacy services to support women in prostitution who become victims of serious violent and sexual crime.

Prostitution

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) convicted for incidents of prostitution-related activity in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) arrested for,  (b) prosecuted in respect of and  (c) convicted of offences of controlling prostitution for gain in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many people have been  (a) arrested for,  (b) prosecuted in respect of and  (c) convicted of offences relating to loitering or soliciting for purposes of prostitution in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many people have been  (a) arrested for,  (b) prosecuted in respect of and  (c) convicted of kerb-crawling in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many people have been  (a) arrested for,  (b) prosecuted in respect of and  (c) convicted of brothel-keeping in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not available.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person, burglary, robbery and sexual offences. From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of persons proceeded against and found guilty of selected prostitution offences in England and Wales, 2003 to 2007, are in the table.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for selected prostitution offences, England and Wales, 2003 to 2007( 1,2,3) 
			Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Offence  Statute  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Causing or inciting prostitution for gain Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.52 — — — 2 1 — 1 1 2 1 
			 Controlling a prostitute for gain Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.53 — 1 12 18 23 — — 3 11 24 
			 Keeping a brothel used for prostitution Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.33A as added by Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.55 — 3 11 39 41 — 4 8 27 29 
			 Keeping a brothel Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 33. 11 26 13 34 37 4 15 11 12 31 
			 Letting premises for use as a brothel Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 34. — — — 1 — — — — 1 — 
			 Tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 35. — 1 — 3 3 — — — 2 1 
			 Tenant permitting premises to be used for prostitution Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 36. — — — 2 2 — — — 1 2 
			 Keeping a brothel for homosexual practices Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 33 as amended by Sexual Offences Act 1967 Sec 6. — — — 2 — — — — 2 — 
			 Letting premises for use as a brothel for homosexual practices Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 34 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967 Sec 6. — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel for homosexual practices Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 35 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967 Sec 6. — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Kerb-crawling Sexual Offences Act 1985 Sec 1. 956 841 717 625 554 834 760 635 532 491 
			 Persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution Sexual Offences Act 1985 Sec 2. 70 64 41 47 78 50 48 34 38 53 
			 Placing an advertisement relating to prostitution Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.46. 420 410 435 431 366 396 376 408 392 341 
			 Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution Street Offences Act 1959 Sec 1. 2,956 2,002 1,376 845 874 2,627 1,735 1,116 648 526 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year, or the defendants were found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Prostitution

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests and  (b) convictions there have been for soliciting for prostitution in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not available.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person, burglary, robbery and sexual offences. From these centrally reported data we are not able to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	Data provided by the Ministry of Justice, showing the number of defendants found guilty of soliciting for prostitution in England and Wales from 1997 to 2007 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for soliciting for prostitution, England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1,2) 
			   Number 
			 1997 5,695 
			 1998 5,223 
			 1999 3,378 
			 2000(3) 3,385 
			 2001 2,841 
			 2002 2,668 
			 2003 2,627 
			 2004 1,735 
			 2005 1,116 
			 2006 648 
			 2007 526 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Prostitution: Crimes of Violence

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for violent offences in cases where the victim worked as a prostitute in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

Alan Campbell: These data are not available centrally.

Prostitution: Crimes of Violence

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what schemes and services there are with the objective of increasing the number of convictions of those who have committed violence towards a person working as a prostitute.

Alan Campbell: As part of the Government's Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy the Ugly Mugs scheme which enables those involved in prostitution to share information on dangerous clients, has been expanded through the existing Crimestoppers helpline that allows crime to be reported anonymously.

Prostitution: New Zealand

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will visit New Zealand to assess the effects of the legislation which decriminalised prostitution in that country.

Alan Campbell: The Government recently published the findings of a review that considered what action could be taken to tackle the demand for prostitution. As part of this review, Ministers considered research into the experience of different countries including New Zealand. Ministers conducted fact-finding visits to both the Netherlands and Sweden. There are no plans for further ministerial visits to other countries in relation to this matter.

Prostitution: Rape

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for rape in cases where the victim worked as a prostitute in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available centrally. The data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on court proceedings do not contain information about the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought. It is therefore not possible to identify rape offences where the victim was a prostitute.

Theft: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of  (a) theft and  (b) burglary have been reported in (i) Greater London, (ii) the London Borough of Hillingdon and (iii) Uxbridge constituency in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: The available data relate to recorded offences in the Metropolitan Police Service area and the Hillingdon basic command unit. Data at basic command unit level for theft and burglary are only available from 1999-2000. Data for Uxbridge are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded offences of theft and burglary in the Metropolitan Police Service area and in the Hillingdon basic command unit—2000-01 to 2001-02( 1) 
			   Metropolitan Police  Hillingdon 
			   Theft offences( 2)  Burglary offences  Theft offences( 2)  Burglary offences 
			 2000-01 415,148 112,375 10,577 4,085 
			 2001-02 443,523 116,026 10,539 3,643 
			 (1) The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other theft offences. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences of theft and burglary in the Metropolitan Police Service area and in the Hillingdon basic command unit—2002-03 to 2007-08( 1) 
			   Metropolitan Police  Hillingdon 
			   Theft offences( 2)  Burglary offences  Theft offences( 2)  Burglary offences 
			 2002-03 463,665 113,427 10,794 3,569 
			 2003-04 448,818 105,361 10,725 3,183 
			 2004-05 412,264 101,474 9,883 3,143 
			 2005-06 400,387 103,510 9,687 3,137 
			 2006-07 365,714 96,728 9,983 3,182 
			 2007-08 332,156 93,894 8,621 3,361 
			 (1) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (2) Includes offences against vehicles and other theft offences.

Tobacco: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) were prosecuted,  (b) were cautioned and  (c) received a penalty notice for disorder for selling cigarettes to an under age person in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: The number of persons proceeded against and cautioned for selling cigarettes to an under age person in 2007 (latest published) are given in the following table.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	The Penalty Notice for Disorder scheme currently does not extend to the offence of selling cigarettes to an under age person.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and cautioned( 1)  for selling cigarettes to an under age person, England and Wales, 2007( 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against  Cautioned 
			 2007 58 1 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (3) The proceeded against statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

UK Border Agency: Manpower

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff are employed in managing the Refugee Integration Strategy; how many she estimates will be employed in 2009-10 and 2010-11; how much that strategy is expected to cost in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The UK Border Agency is intending to publish a refugee integration strategy early in 2009. The strategy will confirm Government commitment to supporting refugees through integration and resettlement. The cost of developing the document and of any subsequent delivery activity will be resourced from existing provision for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) her Department,  (b) its predecessor and  (c) its agencies have provided funding to the charity (i) Catz Club and (ii) Schoolfriend in the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department, its predecessor and its agencies have not provided funding to the charity (i) Catz Club and (ii) Schoolfriend in the last five years.

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £3 million innovation and challenge fund she announced on 10 December 2008 will be allocated in 2009-10 and 2010-11; what the criteria for awarding grants will be; what the maximum grant size is expected to be; who will administer the fund; what the annual administration costs of the fund are expected to be; how grants from the fund will be evaluated; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The £3 million challenge and innovation fund is for the financial year 2009-10 only. The criteria for awarding grants; the maximum grant size; fund administration; annual administration costs; and grants evaluation will be published in due course.

Departmental Buildings

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) decorating and  (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in each year since the Department's inception; how much has been spent on wallpaper in that time; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration.

Sadiq Khan: Expenditure by Communities and Local Government on maintaining, decorating and improving departmental buildings is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  CLG: Maintenance, Decorating, Improvements 
			   Total costs (£) 
			 2006-07 6,116,496 
			 2007-08 8,207,273 
			 2008-09 2,068,049 
		
	
	CLG does not record how much is spent on wallpaper.
	Plans for further spending on departmental decoration are currently under review.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets her Department and its agencies provide for staff.

Sadiq Khan: In relation to CLG's London HQ buildings, a staff restaurant service is provided at Eland House and a snack bar service is provided at Ashdown House. These are non-subsidised, directly-operated outlets provided by Mitie PLC as part of the Department's Integrated Facility Management contract.
	In relation to CLG agencies, staff catering services for the Planning Inspectorate at Temple Quay House, Bristol and the Fire Service College at Moreton in Marsh, are provided on a non-subsidised, directly-operated basis as part of the facility management contracts for those premises with Eurest and Operon respectively.
	In relation to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the catering concession holder, Leith's, provides a non-subsidised, directly-operated canteen facility for all staff working at the Centre.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at her Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and what was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Sadiq Khan: The numbers of bonuses paid to all senior civil service staff and the cost of these in 2008 and 2007 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Senior civil servants (SCS)  Number of bonuses  Cost of bonuses (£) 
			 2008 111 856,932 
			 2007 104 686,000 
		
	
	The bonuses are non-consolidated, non-pensionable cash payments that reward excellent performance during the year, based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. Senior civil service staff members are assessed against a range of factors, such as:
	The achievement of their prime objective which focuses on the way in which they lead, manage and develop their staff;
	Degree to which business objectives are met;
	Delivery for Ministers;
	Demonstration of skills such as judgment, leadership and the PSG skills;
	Effective resource management
	Details of bonuses paid in the Department's agencies are not held centrally.

Departmental Personnel

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 948W, on departmental personnel, what the current figure is for staff without posts or in the career transition centre or in a people action team in  (a) her Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) each of the Government Offices for the Regions; how many of the staff without posts were classified as such after returning from maternity leave; and how many of the staff without posts have been classified as such for (i) at least six months and (ii) at least 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: My information is that there are currently no staff without posts in my Department, its agencies or the Government offices.

Fire Services: Contracts

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 196W, on public sector: contracts, whether general break clauses have been included in the contracts for regional fire control rooms.

Sadiq Khan: Break clauses are not included in the contracts for regional control rooms for reasons of national resilience and to provide continuous public service.

Fire Services: Hoaxes and False Alarms

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) genuine and  (b) malicious false alarm fire emergency calls have been received in (i) the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire and (ii) the City of Southampton in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is available in the following table, however information regarding incidents attended by the Fire and Rescue Service is not available at a local level.
	
		
			  False fire alarms attended by Fire and Rescue Services, England, 2003-07( 1) 
			   England  Hampshire 
			   Total false fire alarms  Malicious  Good intent  Due to apparatus  Total false fire alarms  Malicious  Good intent  Due to apparatus 
			 2003(1) 387,032 47,010 108,721 231,301 10,333 788 2,945 6,600 
			 2004 365,304 39,229 91,178 234,897 9,827 666 2,431 6,730 
			 2005 354,786 30,264 92,151 232,371 10,018 592 2,695 6,731 
			 2006 349,846 25,428 94,651 229,767 9,565 612 3,018 5,935 
			 2007(2) 334,045 22,306 94,322 217,417 7,746 505 3,205 4,036 
			 (1) Includes estimates for incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action. (2) Provisional.

Fire Services: Manpower

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters there were per 100,000 residents in each fire and rescue authority area in England in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2004 and  (c) the latest year for which figures are available; and how many such firefighters there were in each year in each region.

Sadiq Khan: Information on the number of firefighters per 100,000 population and firefighters in England is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Firefighters per 100,000 resident population and number of firefighters 
			   Firefighters per 100,000 residents  Number of firefighters 
			  Fire authority  1997-98  2003-04  2007-08  1997-98  2003-04  2007-08 
			 Avon 88 89 83 861 891 880 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 81 76 84 447 436 500 
			 Royal Berkshire 74 73 68 588 584 562 
			 Buckinghamshire 75 79 82 500 547 588 
			 Cambridgeshire 90 87 83 624 635 632 
			 Cheshire 82 82 78 806 815 782 
			 Cleveland 124 118 114 685 657 636 
			 Cornwall 122 121 115 590 618 608 
			 Cumbria 147 149 150 718 729 743 
			 Derbyshire 90 85 81 859 832 803 
			 Devon and Somerset 116 119 116 1,779 1,898 1,929 
			 Dorset 93 93 93 636 652 660 
			 County Durham and Darlington 93 95 90 558 560 546 
			 East Sussex 91 91 86 665 677 656 
			 Essex 87 86 88 1,368 1,395 1,486 
			 Gloucestershire 89 92 88 496 523 514 
			 London 82 81 80 5,771 5,990 6,047 
			 Greater Manchester 88 84 79 2,207 2,135 2,014 
			 Hampshire 91 91 93 1,473 1,512 1,586 
			 Hereford and Worcester 98 95 99 689 691 728 
			 Hertfordshire 83 81 78 842 842 831 
			 Humberside 117 122 120 1,026 1,072 1,092 
			 Isles of Scilly(1) 2 2 2 44 51 51 
			 Isle of Wight 176 162 154 224 221 215 
			 Kent 110 105 106 1,697 1,681 1,741 
			 Lancashire 97 96 89 1,374 1,374 1,298 
			 Leicestershire 79 74 68 721 694 658 
			 Lincolnshire 103 108 111 637 716 771 
			 Merseyside 107 97 94 1,490 1,319 1,264 
			 Norfolk 94 90 99 727 730 836 
			 North Yorkshire 99 90 92 726 687 722 
			 Northamptonshire 85 83 79 520 531 537 
			 Northumberland 126 124 125 388 385 387 
			 Nottinghamshire 88 91 89 898 936 943 
			 Oxfordshire 85 87 93 506 538 593 
			 Shropshire 111 114 119 472 510 539 
			 South Yorkshire 76 77 70 973 977 911 
			 Staffordshire 80 83 79 837 867 844 
			 Suffolk 101 95 106 666 643 752 
			 Surrey 83 75 71 864 803 778 
			 Tyne and Wear 93 92 86 1,036 993 933 
			 Warwickshire 98 91 83 487 475 438 
			 West Midlands 80 77 75 2,073 1,979 1,944 
			 West Sussex 98 93 96 720 704 744 
			 West Yorkshire 92 87 78 1,906 1,823 1,692 
			 Wiltshire 90 87 90 536 543 576 
			
			 England 92 90 88 44,710 44,871 44,990 
			 (1) Firefighters per 100 population  Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government

Fire Services: Radio

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the national implementation of the FireLink project; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The project is making good progress. The existing radio communications infrastructure has been enhanced to provide a more resilient network. The project has now moved into the next phase, the provision of new digital radios into fire and rescue service appliances and cars. The installation of radio equipment is almost complete in the first region on the rollout schedule, the North East. Users have welcomed the improved clarity of the system and the better reception compared to the previous analogue networks.

Fire Services: Standards

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which fire and rescue authorities did not meet the public service agreement sub-target of having an annual fatality rate from accidental fires in the home of no more than 1.25 times the national average in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: Because of inherent fluctuations in the number of fatalities in individual Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) areas, the definition of this sub-target takes the average data across a five year period, and this runs from April 2005 to March 2010.
	The comparable statistics that can be calculated now are for the five year period 2002-03 to 2006-07, and are shown in the table. However this should only be used for guidance purposes and not as a means of judging FRA performance or ability to meet PSA 3 targets.
	
		
			  Fire authorities exceeding 1.25 times the national average rate of accidental dwelling fires 
			  Area  Average fatality rate (per 100,000 population) based on 2002-03 to 2006-07 data 
			 England average 0.49 
			 Rate 1.25* the National Average 0.61 
			   
			 Lancashire 0.87 
			 Greater Manchester 0.74 
			 West Yorkshire 0.66 
			 Durham 0.64 
			 South Yorkshire(1) 0.61 
			 (1) The figure for South Yorkshire is higher than 1.25* the national average when taken to three decimal places.

Fires

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many electrical fires occurred in  (a) newly rewired and  (b) newly built properties in England in each year from 1997 to 2003.

Sadiq Khan: Fire and Rescue Services in England do not collect information on property construction dates or a history of electrical maintenance in buildings when attending fires. Information on the number of building fires in each year from 1997 to 2003 started by electrics is available in the following table.
	
		
			  Fires in buildings started by electrical appliances and sources of ignition, England, 1997 to 2003 
			  Country and source of ignition  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 England 17,766 17,615 16,969 16,072 16,372 15,531 15,226 
			 
			 Cooking appliances 2,127 2,231 1,924 1,817 1,950 1,600 1,386 
			 Electric space heater 128 110 114 179 192 173 140 
			 Plugs 107 65 75 78 73 90 56 
			 Sockets and switches 305 323 279 288 341 342 308 
			 Leads to appliances 354 466 465 432 370 485 495 
			 Wire and cable 3,106 3,157 3,361 3,383 3,310 3,218 3,276 
			 Washing machine 2,336 2,023 1,789 1,441 1,507 1,306 1,075 
			 Dishwasher 427 510 395 450 464 389 443 
			 Refrigerator 603 580 658 628 637 539 628 
			 Tumble and spin driers 812 847 903 818 828 833 853 
			 Lighting 2,174 2,431 2,255 2,279 2,408 2,432 2,417 
			 Blanket or bedwarmer 568 440 388 316 309 -243 252 
			 Television 640 547 569 512 588 534 425 
			 Iron 107 101 63 70 113 68 60 
			 AV, VDU or computer 403 333 313 282 310 329 246 
			 Other electrical 3,569 3,451 3,418 3,099 2,972 2,950 3,166

Home Information Packs

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1047W, on home information packs, if she will make gas safety certificates a mandatory part of home information packs where a gas supply is present.

Margaret Beckett: No. A gas safety certificate is authorised for inclusion in the HIP where one exists and the seller wishes to include it. The new property information questionnaire (PIQ) includes information on the service history of heating systems. The PIQ will be completed by sellers and will become a required HIP document from 6 April 2009.

Home Information Packs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer from the Minister for Housing in the Communities and Local Government Committee on 23 October 2008, Q16, on home information packs, what recent discussions the Minister has had on  (a) the updating of home information packs and  (b) the period of validity of home information packs from the date of commission; with which authorities she has had discussions; what conclusions she has reached; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The stakeholder panel, which I chair, meets regularly to consider how to improve the home buying and selling process, including home information packs. My announcement of 8 December sets out, and makes clear how we plan to improve the content of HIPs to help realise their full potential for consumers. In particular, I have asked Ted Beardsall to convene a working group to consider local property searches. The group will consist of industry and consumer representatives and will consider consumers' needs, utility and presentation of existing searches information. We will also be working with RICS and other key stakeholders to look at how to ensure consumers receive appropriate information about a property's condition.

Homes and Communities Agency: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish a breakdown of the interim budget of the Homes and Communities Agency.

Margaret Beckett: The following table provides a break down of the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) budget. This gives the full HCA budget for 2008-09 for the reason set out in my response to the hon. Gentleman on 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1076W.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Planned 2008-09 budget (12 months) 
			  Programme  Near-cash  Non-cash  Capital  Total( 1) 
			 HCA administration costs (2)90 4 2 96 
			 National Affordable Housing Programme 3 0 2,629 2,631 
			 Land and Property/Regeneration (3)1 95 (3)206 (3)302 
			 Growth Areas 24 0 241 265 
			 Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF)—total 0 0 37 37 
			 CIF 1 0 0 20 20 
			 CIF 2 0 0 17 17 
			 Housing Market Renewal Fund 25 0 356 381 
			 Academy for Sustainable Communities 6 0 0 6 
			 Gypsies and Travellers 0 0 1 1 
			 Places of Change 0 0 33 33 
			 Gap Funding 0 0 123 123 
			 Procurement Efficiency 2 0 0 2 
			 Thames Gateway 3 0 41 44 
			 Total(1) (3)154 99 (3)3,668 (3)3,920 
			 (1) Total figures may not sum due to rounding to £ millions. (2) Of which £4 million is transitional costs incurred by the predecessor bodies. (3) Net budget figures which exclude revenue and capital receipts. Revenue receipts include rent, interest receivable and non-trading revenue such as claw back. Capital receipts derive from sales of land.

Homes and Communities Agency: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the start-up costs of the Homes and Communities Agency were; and if she will give a breakdown of the cost of its administration in its first year since establishment.

Margaret Beckett: The costs of the Homes and Communities Agency are set out in the Housing and Regeneration Bill-Impact Assessment, a copy of which is in the House Library. This states that the one-off cost of setting up the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will be £20 million over three years.
	A break down of the 2008-09 administration running costs of the HCA is provided in the following table. This gives the full HCA budget for 2008-09 for the reason set out in my response to the hon. Member on 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1076.
	
		
			   2008-09 (12 months)  (£ million) 
			 Staff pay costs 59 
			 Administration costs 10 
			 Office rental and accommodation costs 8 
			 Professional fees and temporary staff 4 
			 IT and telecommunications 4 
			 Corporate marketing 1 
			 Total 86

Homes and Communities Agency: Pay

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role she has in monitoring increases in salaries of staff of the Homes and Communities Agency.

Margaret Beckett: The Secretary of State's role is to approve the overall annual pay proposals for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) bearing in mind the terms of the annual guidance on pay for civil and public servants issued by Her Majesty's Treasury. It is then for individual non departmental public bodies (NDPBs), including the HCA, to determine pay and conditions for their staff.
	The Secretary of State also approves the annual inflation increase for the Chief Executives of Communities and Local Government's NDPBs, including for the HCA. The Chairman of the HCA also confers with my Department if the Board is minded to award an annual performance bonus to the Chief Executive.
	Furthermore, the HCA will consult my Department on any proposed major structural changes to the HCA's pay and grading systems, and on the pay for any appointments made at Director level or above, including the Chief Executive.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the composition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission will be announced; how it will be determined; and what consultation will take place with representatives of relevant industries.

John Healey: Recruitment of the chair of the new Infrastructure Planning Commission has already commenced. The process of recruiting the other members of the Commission will follow shortly. These are all public appointments and the recruitment is being carried out in accordance with the rules of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) with an independent OCPA assessor supervising the process. In addition, the appointments of the chair and deputy chairs will be subject to the pre-appointment hearing by the relevant Parliamentary Select Committee. It is open to anyone who considers they meet the essential criteria to apply for the posts.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on the composition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

John Healey: There have been no discussions with Railfreight Interchange Investment Group and the Department of Communities and Local Government on the composition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Local Government Finance

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on local government finance, what estimate she has made of the resources required by local authorities in England to carry out their proposed new responsibilities for strategic commissioning of education for 16 to 18-year-olds; and what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families on the matter.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W. My Department maintains a regular dialogue with other Departments at both ministerial and official level on policies which affect local government, including resource implications.

Local Government Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what local authority revenue was provided from  (a) central Government,  (b) council tax revenues and  (c) special grants for each region in each of the last 12 years, ranked in descending order according to the size of increase.  [Official Report, 24 February 2009, Vol. 488, c. 1-2MC.]

John Healey: Details of local authority funding provided by central Government, council tax revenues and specific and special revenue grants for each region in England in each of the last 12 years are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Central Government grant 
			  £ million 
			   North East  North West( 1)  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England  Lon don  South East  South West  Total England 
			 1996-97 1,952 5,037 3,554 2,561 3,660 3,112 7,029 4,460 2,757 34,121 
			 1997-98 1,931 4,986 3,495 2,570 3,623 3,120 7,049 4,483 2,784 34,041 
			 1998-99 2,028 5,276 3,685 2,659 3,826 3,242 7,254 4,630 2,880 35,480 
			 1999-2000 2,146 5,529 3,876 2,793 4,010 3,391 7,533 4,809 3,024 37,112 
			 2000-01 1,418 3,588 2,455 1,614 2,493 1,891 5,519 2,537 1,624 23,139 
			 2001-02 2,288 5,897 4,153 3,022 4,287 3,740 8,096 5,301 3,264 40,048 
			 2002-03 2,309 5,957 4,181 3,034 4,322 3,754 8,206 5,323 3,270 40,358 
			 2003-04 2,496 6,514 4,565 3,352 4,760 4,094 8,790 5,781 3,588 43,940 
			 2004-05 2,611 6,830 4,777 3,540 5,049 4,307 9,271 6,044 3,743 46,172 
			 2005-06 2,767 7,226 5,058 3,771 5,395 4,594 9,833 6,410 4,004 49,058 
			 2006-07 1,573 3,819 2,624 1,784 2,723 2,011 5,784 2,714 1,825 24,857 
			 2007-08 1,622 3,943 2,708 1,855 2,819 2,086 5.964 2,787 1,893 25,677 
		
	
	
		
			  Council Tax 
			  £ million 
			   North East  North West( 1)  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England  Lon don  South East  South West  Total England 
			 1996-97 525 1,529 974 829 1,059 1,099 1,643 1,759 1,044 10,461 
			 1997-98 570 1,651 1,043 885 1,142 1,185 1,748 1,890 1,127 11,241 
			 1998-99 618 1,784 1,143 985 1,244 1,330 1,866 2,114 1,249 12,332 
			 1999-2000 660 1,887 1,211 1,071 1,343 1,457 1,999 2,297 1,353 13,278 
			 2000-01 695 1,988 1,283 1,153 1,435 1,583 2,127 2,474 1,462 14,200 
			 2001-02 736 2,111 1,380 1,238 1,551 1,709 2,301 2,655 1,565 15,245 
			 2002-03 803 2,234 1,492 1,374 1,686 1,902 2,482 2,930 1,745 16,648 
			 2003-04 879 2,442 1,656 1,518 1,869 2,209 2,955 3,415 2,004 18,946 
			 2004-05 938 2,576 1,772 1,633 1,980 2,376 3,174 3,678 2,172 20,299 
			 2005-06 985 2,698 1,868 1,712 2,077 2,492 3,324 3,867 2,291 21,315 
			 2006-07 1,028 2,834 1,968 1,802 2,179 2,633 3,505 4,083 2,421 22,453 
			 2007-08 1,077 2,977 2,070 1,894 2,284 2,785 3,659 4,305 2,557 23,608 
		
	
	
		
			  Specific and special Revenue grants 
			  £ million 
			   North East  North West( 1)  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England  Lon don  South East  South West  Total England 
			 1996-97 97 235 177 120 170 140 341 205 133 1,618 
			 1997-98 110 284 237 125 201 141 384 206 139 1,826 
			 1998-99 112 394 264 146 235 177 534 281 193 2,335 
			 1999-2000 143 441 326 193 289 216 713 382 219 2,921 
			 2000-01 216 649 471 311 425 358 1,223 595 364 4,615 
			 2001-02 332 946 681 419 591 486 1,888 742 472 6,558 
			 2002-03 457 1,269 850 578 811 666 2,484 1,059 717 8,891 
			 2003-04 662 1,740 1,142 806 1,119 842 4,831 1,368 902 13,413 
			 2004-05 733 1,978 1,201 925 1,186 946 4,604 1,509 1,009 14,090 
			 2005-06 781 2,074 1,332 968 1,303 1,031 4,660 1,567 1,070 14,785 
			 2006-07 2,098 5,789 4,081 3,216 4,266 3,903 9,403 5,524 3,462 41,741 
			 2007-08 2,203 6,052 4,368 3,390 4,530 4,115 10,123 5,948 3,757 44,486 
			 (1) Includes Merseyside  Source:  Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn Summary (RS) returns. 
		
	
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and police grant) and Greater London Authority (GLA) grant. In past years, where applicable the SSA reduction grant and Central Support Protection Grants have also been included.
	The definition of specific and special grants used here is Specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services.
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities.

Local Government Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effects of the economic downturn on the income of local authorities; and if she will review the level of revenue support grant paid to local authorities.

John Healey: The effects of the economic downturn on the income of local authorities was an issue identified in a recent report by the Audit Commission entitled 'Crunch Time', which looked at the impact of recent economic changes on local authorities' finances. The report found that councils are generally prepared for the impact of the economic downturn.
	Following consultation with local authorities on the provisional local government finance settlement 2009-10, I confirmed our plans for the funding of local authority revenue spending through Formula Grant on 21 January which is now subject to parliamentary approval. Overall Government grant to local authorities will next year be £73.1 billion which provides an increase of 4.2 per cent. on a like for like basis. This is the second year of a three year settlement which provides councils with an additional £8.9 billion up to 2010-11 and gives them the certainty and flexibility they need to plan ahead and manage their budgets. We also expect authorities to deliver £4.9 billion net cash-releasing savings over that period, which can be used to improve services and control council tax pressures.

Local Government Finance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to bring forward payments to local authorities in order to mitigate the amount of interest forgone by local authorities in meeting targets for payment of supplier invoices within 10 days.

John Healey: Local authorities are responsible for their own payment arrangements and in the present economic downturn many are taking steps to ensure invoices are settled promptly. In putting in place the first-ever three-year settlement last year, we gave councils an extra £8.9 billion and the certainty and flexibility they need to plan ahead and manage their budgets.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidelines are used to determine business rates for companies placed into administration.

John Healey: The determination of rates liability on a property occupied by a business does not alter if the company is in administration. However, if the company owns an empty property it would not be liable for empty rates on that property whilst in administration.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what bookings the QE2 Conference Centre has arranged at commercial rates for Whitehall-based government departments and agencies since February 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Booking  Department/agency 
			 13 February 2008 Education in London: Rising to the Challenge Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 28 February 2008 DCSF—ICES Conference 2008 Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 5 March 2008 Regeneration: People, Places, Prosperity Department for Communities and Local Government 
			 9 March 2008 Making Good Progress—Pilot Schools Head Teachers Conference Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 17 March 2008 Cabinet Office Leadership Conference Cabinet Office 
			 22 April 2008 Scheme 2009: Identity Cards for Airport Workers Identity and Passport Service 
			 28 April 2008 OSC Info Sharing Day Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 19 May 2008 National Pandemic Influenza Workshop Cabinet Office 
			 28 May 2008 Making the Difference: Equality, Diversity and the Fire and Rescue Service Department for Communities and Local Government 
			 11 June 2008 Trust Schools Conference 2008 Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 15 June 2008 Financial Action Taskforce Conference HM Treasury 
			 26 June 2008 MOJ IT Profession Ministry of Justice 
			 2 July 2008 Healthcare for London Stakeholder Event NHS London 
			 16 July 2008 NHS Press Conference NHS London 
			 23 September 2008 SCS Forum Department of Health 
			 29 September 2008 D C & L Away Day: Making Connections Ministry of Justice 
			 8 October 2008 NHS Consultants Contract Conference NHS Employers 
			 9 October 2008 REACH Role Model Sift Event Department for Communities and Local Government 
			 9 October 2008 Celebrating Success 2008 Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 22 October 2008 DCLG: Collaborative Procurement Forum Department for Communities and Local Government 
			 31 October 2008 Skills for Life Conference 2008 Department for Children, Schools and Families 
			 17 November 2008 Above and Beyond The British Council 
			 7 December 2008 NHS Chief Executives Video Conference Department of Health 
			 9 December 2008 PREVENT 08 Department for Communities and Local Government

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that the enforcement concordat in respect of the principles of good enforcement is used by enforcement authorities in their application of guidance her Department has issued on the implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: It is a matter for individual enforcing authorities to determine their own enforcement policies and procedures, having regard to the established principles of good enforcement set out in the Enforcement Concordat and the Regulators' Compliance Code.
	We have issued guidance on enforcing the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to all enforcing authorities, under article 26 of the order. This makes clear that all enforcing authorities are expected to enforce the order in accordance with the principles of the 'Enforcement Concordat' issued by the Cabinet Office.
	In addition, the National Framework 2008-11 makes it clear that we expect Fire and Rescue Authorities to be mindful of the need to take an open and proportionate approach to their audit and enforcement functions in accordance with the principles of good enforcement set out in the Compliance Code and Enforcement Concordat.

Street Cleaning: Wolverhampton

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much money her Department granted to Wolverhampton City Council in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 for street cleaning in Wolverhampton; what conditions were applied; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Street cleaning is one of the services supported through formula grant. Formula grant, which comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant, is an unhypothecated block grant which means that councils have the freedom to spend it on any service provided that they meet their statutory duties. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been allocated for any particular service.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Children: Disadvantaged

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster  (a) how many and  (b) what percentage of children lived in workless households in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question how many and what percentage of children lived in workless households in each year since 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency. (249370)
	The available information is provided in the table. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The information requested has been answered using annual estimates derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household dataset, which are only available from 2004. Estimates before 2004 are derived from the Labour Force Survey and are of insufficient quality for answering this question due to the detail requested. It is vital to note that as with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results.
	Figures are based on children in working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
	Estimates that are deemed unreliable for practical purposes are presented in italics. These estimates arc based on small sample sizes and are subject to large variability. Estimates that are reliable are shaded.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department and its agency provides for staff.

Kevin Brennan: None.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when his Department appointed a senior information risk owner in accordance with the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government and the accompanying document Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action; and what grade the person holds within the Department.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office appointed a Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) on 3 November 2004. The Managing Director of the Cabinet Office at that time was the appointee. The Current CO SIRO is the Director General and Head of Cabinet Office Management.

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the Prime Minister's Office have been (i) investigated, (ii) suspended and (iii) dismissed for losing (A) memory sticks, (B) laptop computers, (C) desktop computers and (D) mobile telephones in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: Cabinet Office, which includes the Prime Minister's Office, requires its employees to report any loss of Cabinet Office assets (memory sticks, laptop computers, desktop computers and mobile phones). Information prior to 2006 is not available.
	five investigations have been conducted for the loss of such items;
	to protect the confidentiality of individuals, exact numbers of suspensions or dismissals cannot be given, but fewer than five staff have been suspended or dismissed for loss of official property following such investigations.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people who have made requests to his Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been waiting for longer than  (a) four,  (b) eight and  (c) 12 months to receive the information they requested.

Tom Watson: The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on Government Departments' handling of requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This includes details of the timeliness of the responses to requests. The statistics are available on the MOJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomof informationquarterly.htm
	and copies are available in the Library of the House. The specific information requested by the hon. Member can however be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working in the Cabinet Office and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and how much was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Tom Watson: The number of senior civil servants in the Cabinet Office awarded bonuses and the total cost of these bonuses, since 2007, are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of bonuses  Total cost (£) 
			 2008 105 972,500 
			 2007 123 895,000

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: The central communications unit of the Cabinet Office has not incurred any expenditure on public surveys.

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contribution to population change in the UK was made by  (a) natural growth and  (b) net migration in each of the last 20 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what contribution to population change in the UK was made by (a) natural growth and (b) net migration in each of the last 20 years. (249508)
	The attached table shows the contribution of net migration and natural change to population change for the UK for the last 20 years since 1988.
	
		
			  Net migration and natural change for the UK for mid-year 1988 to mid-year 2007 
			  Thousand 
			   Net migration and other changes( 1,)( )( 2)  Natural change 
			 1988 -24 136 
			 1989 21 139 
			 1990 43 118 
			 1991 48 153 
			 1992 -11 157 
			 1993 1 129 
			 1994 36 112 
			 1995 56 107 
			 1996 62 77 
			 1997 47 103 
			 1998 60 100 
			 1999 133 77 
			 2000 139 62 
			 2001 153 74 
		
	
	
		
			   Net migration  Other changes( 2)  Natural change 
			 2002 146 2 62 
			 2003 152 5 77 
			 2004 184 (3)— 104 
			 2005 263 3 127 
			 2006 189 2 159 
			 2007 199 2 187 
			 (1) It is not possible to separately identify and split net-migration and other changes in the years up to 2001. From 2002-07 net migration and other changes are shown separately. (2) Other changes primarily include changes in the number of home and US armed forces and dependants resident in the UK. (3 )Less than 1,000  Sources: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Immigration: Poland

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of  (a) the number of Polish persons living in the UK in 2007 and 2008,  (b) the number of Polish persons who returned to Poland from the UK in 2008 and  (c) how many Polish persons are currently living in the UK.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your questions concerning what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of (a) the number of Polish persons living in the UK in 2007 and 2008, (b) the number of Polish persons who returned to Poland from the UK in 2008 and (c) how many Polish persons are currently living in the UK (249587).
	The Office for National Statistics collects data on country of birth on the Annual Population Survey (APS) which covers residents of the UK. Estimates from the APS show that in 2007, 405,000 people living in the UK were born in Poland. This estimate has a margin of error of +/-26,000. No data are not yet available for 2008 or 2009.
	The number of Polish persons who returned to Poland from the UK in 2008 is not yet available. The latest data for 2007 show that 18,000 UK residents who were born in Poland, migrated back to Poland. This estimate is based on the International Passenger Survey and excludes people who have been living in the UK for less than a year or who intend to return to Poland for less than a year.

Ministers: Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Ministers from each Department have received severance payments on leaving their Ministerial role in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Information on Ministers leaving office is a matter of public record. Under the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, only those who leave office over the age of 65; and the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor and the Commons Speaker (because they have alternative pension arrangements which include an element to cover the issue of severance) do not receive severance payments. Severance is also not paid to a Minister who leaves an unpaid office in Government, nor to a Minister who leaves a paid office and moves to an unpaid one.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Pay

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff employed by non-departmental public bodies earned over  (a) £100,000,  (b) £200,000,  (c) £300,000,  (d) £400,000,  (e) £500,000,  (f) £600,000,  (g) £700,000 and  (h) £800,000 in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: This information is not held centrally. Non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) publish details of salaries and allowances paid to senior staff in their annual reports and accounts.

Parliamentary Questions: Commercial Secrets

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance his Department has issued about the rules on commercial confidentiality and disclosure of information in response to Parliamentary Questions.

Tom Watson: Parliamentary questions are answered in accordance with Cabinet Office "Guidance on Answers to Parliamentary Questions" and the "Ministerial Code", copies of which are available in the Library and from the departmental website.

Population

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his estimate is of  (a) the population of the United Kingdom and  (b) the percentage of the population who will be senior citizens in (i) 2014, (ii) 2019 and (iii) 2024.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2009:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question regarding what the estimate is of (a) the population of the United Kingdom and (b) the percentage of the population who will be senior citizens in (i) 2014, (ii) 2019 and (iii) 2024. I am replying in her absence. (250201)
	Table 1 below shows the projected population of the United Kingdom for 2014, 2019 and 2024 together with the percentage of the population that will have reached state pension age in each of these years. These are based on the state pension age applicable in each year so they take into account the forthcoming increases in state pension age.
	
		
			  Table 1: Projected population of the United Kingdom, 2014, 2019 and 2024 
			   Total population (million)  Percentage at state pensionable age( 1) 
			 2014 64 19 
			 2019 66 19 
			 2024 68 20 
			 (1 )These percentages allow for forthcoming increases to the state pension age for women, from 60 to 65, which is a graduated change between 2010 and 2020. They also allow for further changes between 2024 and 2026, when the state pension age will increase from 65 to 66 for both men and women.  Source:  2006-based national population projections.

Public Bodies: Telephone Services

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps are being taken by the Contact Council in relation to public sector bodies that do not charge fees for the use of their services and which use revenue sharing 084x and 087x telephone numbers.

Tom Watson: The use of non-geographic phone numbers is currently a matter for individual Departments. It is their responsibility to balance the costs and the needs of their users and customers.
	Some central Government Departments operating 084x and 087x telephone numbers apply additional charges on top of the costs of the call. However the extent of these practices has not been systematically assessed. Therefore the cross-government Contact Council has commissioned research requesting that central Government Departments provide details of how many 084x and 087x telephone numbers they operate, and whether these numbers partake in revenue sharing activities, as part of a comprehensive survey of number usage in the public sector. Once this research has been carried out the Contact Council will issue guidelines on numbering in general, including the use of 084x and 087x numbers. This guidance will be published later in the year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK personnel are working for the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The UK strongly supports the work of the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and we work closely with them there, including through our embassy in Kabul. UNAMA employs 16 British citizens directly. While no Government personnel are currently employed with UNAMA, we are holding discussions with them on providing further UK staff to the mission.

Brazil: Overseas Students

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships have been awarded to Brazilian nationals in the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: There have been 569 Brazilian Chevening scholars in the last 10 years. This includes a provisional figure of 24 scholars for this academic year (2008-09), because the British Council does not yet have nationality information for all of those scholars in receipt of partnership awards.

Burma

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has held discussions with the government of Thailand regarding the treatment of Burmese boat people near the Andaman Islands.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 22 January 2009
	We are deeply concerned by allegations that refugees from Burma were abandoned at sea by the Thai navy. We have raised the issue with the Thai authorities and welcome Prime Minister Abhisit's assurances of an investigation into the matter. Working with EU partners, and in close consultation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, we will continue to press the Thai authorities to establish the facts and take appropriate action.

Czech Republic: EU Presidency

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Czech Republic's agenda for its presidency of the EU.

Caroline Flint: The Czech presidency of the EU began on 1 January and ends on 30 June 2009. The Czech Government have said that over the next six months the presidency will focus on energy, external and economic issues. The priorities of the Czech presidency are very much in line with Government objectives and we look forward to working with the Czech Government and our other EU partners on these issues. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces a Command Paper on each EU presidency every six months and this will be laid before the House before the end of January. It will also be placed in the Library of the House and on the FCO website at:
	www.fco.gov.uk.

Czech Republic: Foreign Relations

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will invite the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, to make an address to hon. Members on achieving better co-operation in Europe during his term of office as President of the European Council; and if he will seek to arrange for that address to be delivered in the precincts of the House.

Caroline Flint: There are currently no plans to invite President Klaus to make an address to the House. President Klaus, as the Czech Head of State, has an important role to play in the presidency. But Prime Minister Topolanek, as Head of the Czech Executive, is the President of the Council. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Topolanek in London on 18 December 2008. We have every confidence in the Czech presidency's ability to promote better European cooperation through their presidency objectives of a "Europe without Barriers".

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice of 19 December 2005 on Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 14 January 2009
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received no recent reports on the implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice of 19 December 2005 on Uganda.

Departmental ICT

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to page 7 of his Department's Autumn 2008 Performance Report, what the risks are which remain to deploying and realising the full benefits of his Department's new IT system.

David Miliband: Since the publication of the report the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has successfully deployed the new IT system to our UK offices and two overseas pilot posts. This has mitigated the risk in some areas. However, as the programme progresses, the risks continually change, with new risks arising and others being mitigated. The main areas of risk on which we are focusing are:
	the testing of the system/performance of the telecommunications network
	the deployment schedule
	getting the right resources where and when needed
	co-ordination with wider IT/building changes
	preparation of staff to take advantage of the benefits of the system.
	The FCO deployment team continually monitor the risks to the programme and seek external assurance through the Office of Government Commerce gateway process.

Diplomatic Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to page 7 of his Department's Autumn 2008 Performance Report, what the meaning is of  (a) laptop diplomats and  (b) virtual embassies; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: "Laptop diplomat" is a phrase we have coined to describe a member of staff equipped, with mobile communications and a laptop computer, to work away from the embassy. He or she could be based in London or at a Post overseas, working in a single country or on a regional basis, but will have the capability to travel outside the capital city to often remote locations (for example Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or Juba in southern Sudan) in response to a specific need.
	We are already doing a lot of "laptop diplomacy". We have laptop diplomats operating in a range of roles and environments across the network, including as conflict advisors and analysts in Africa, in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, or as roving envoys in the Pacific and Central Asia. Each scenario is different. But in each case, laptop diplomats give the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) a better understanding of events and a greater ability to influence those events by working more closely with the people who matter, whether they are UN agencies, non governmental organisations or local political figures. We are developing IT solutions that will enable us to do more of it and do it better.
	Those solutions include the "Virtual Embassy"—an interactive website which will build on many of the features of our current embassy websites. They will consist of an external, public-facing web page that provides basic information for visitors (UK or local); some of the services a real embassy provides (for example a click through to real (call centre) or virtual (self help) consular and visa services); and allows some engagement on political issues, through the creative use of tailored, local content and interactive features (such as blogs; videoconferences; discussion forums, and personalisation). In addition, they will include a set of internet-based tools that enable a laptop diplomat to carry out all the functions they could do at their desk in the embassy, anywhere where they have an internet connection. So virtual embassies will provide us with a means to engage with stakeholders and advance policy campaigns in countries where we have no physical presence.
	Laptop diplomats and virtual embassies are examples of the way the FCO is modernising, helping us to build a flexible, agile overseas network that adapts quickly to new challenges and delivers for the whole of Government.

Diplomatic Service: Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of those who were made a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in each of the last 10 years attended  (a) independent and  (b) state schools; and how many attended (i) Oxford and Cambridge and (ii) other universities.

Gillian Merron: Educational backgrounds are not factors which are considered in awarding honours. We do not have complete information on the schools and universities attended by the 74 recipients of a D/KCMG since 1998. We have the following information on the 45 recipients from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
	1998:  (a) 4; (i) 4; (ii) 1
	1999:  (a) 4;  (b) l; (i) 3; (ii) 2
	2000:  (a) 4; (i) 4
	2001:  (a) 3;  (b) l; (i) 4
	2002:  (a) l;  (b) l; (i) 2
	2003:  (a) 6; (i) 3
	2004:  (a) 3; (i) 3
	2005:  (a) 3; (i) 3
	2006:  (a) 4; (i ) 4
	2007:  (a) 3; (i) 3; (ii) 1
	2008:  (a) 3;  (b) l; (i) 2; (ii) l.

European Structural Funds

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the European Commission on the European Court of Auditors' disclosure of a 12 per cent. error rate in the execution of the Structural Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply
	The UK is taking the lead in ECOFIN Council discussions on the European Court of Auditor's (ECA) Report on the 2007 EC Budget. Examination of the report includes analysis of Structural Funds for which the ECA's estimated error rate was 11 per cent. February's ECOFIN meeting will agree measures which the Commission must implement to improve the financial management of EU funds.

European Union

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which officer in the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) determines which  (a) reports and  (b) e-grams (i) originating in and (ii) received by UKRep are circulated to the EU offices of the devolved Administrations; and if he will publish the protocols which apply to decisions on such matters.

Caroline Flint: The duties of the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) (and Whitehall departments) to share information with the devolved Administrations are detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), (available on the Ministry of Justice website), specifically Annex B, the Concordat on coordination of European Union Policy Issues.
	UKRep and the devolved Administration EU Offices are in regular and open communication on all EU business which touches upon matters which fall within the responsibility of the devolved Administrations. All members of staff within UKRep concerned with these matters share information with the EU Offices of the devolved Administrations under the terms of the MOU.

Iran: EU External Relations

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts in advance of the forthcoming Council of Ministers meeting on the delisting of the People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran from the EU terror list following the judgement of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities on 4 December 2008.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 22 January 2009
	We have discussed the CFI judgment and the current review of the EU list of terrorist organisations with EU partners.
	We have made clear that we believe the Council should respect the judgment of the Court of First Instance annulling the listing of the PMOI when conducting its review
	We expect a decision on a new list by the end of January.

Iran: EU External Relations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the recent decision of the Court of First Instance, if he will make it his policy to vote against the continued inclusion of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran on the EU blacklist.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 17 December 2008
	We have made clear our view that EU member states must respect the Court of First Instance's judgment annulling the listing of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran in the current review of the EU list of terrorist organisations. The review continues and a decision on the new list will be taken before the end of the month.

Iran: EU External Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the decision by Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia on  (a) the security situation in Somalia and  (b) the continued operations of African Union forces in Somalia.

David Miliband: The Djibouti Agreement envisaged the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia as part of a process leading to a more broadly accepted government within the country. Ethiopian troops have now left Mogadishu and are beginning their withdrawal from Baidoa, the current seat of the Somali parliament.
	Somali security forces supportive of the Djibouti process have taken over security posts vacated by Ethiopian troops. Together with African Union troops (AMISOM), they have ensured that the security situation has not deteriorated following Ethiopian withdrawal. Somali leaders in Mogadishu have called for a cessation of fighting and many displaced people have returned to the city.
	The African Union has agreed to continue AMISOM's deployment in Somalia until 19 March 2009, and has requested additional financial and logistical support to continue its mission beyond this date. UN Security Council Resolution 1863 of 16 January 2009 addresses ways to provide this support.

Iran: EU External Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in deploying a police component to the African Union force in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: No African Union member state has so far contributed a police component to the African Union Mission in Somalia. The African Union force in Somalia currently consists of approximately 3,500 troops from Uganda and Burundi. This number may be reinforced by additional troops from African countries, up to the mandated number of 8,000 troops.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Inter-Government Authority on Development on co-ordinating international efforts to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and wider peace in Sudan and the region.

Gillian Merron: The Inter Government Authority on Development (IGAD) is represented on the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC), which monitors implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), through the two seats held by member states of the IGAD Sub-Committee on Sudan. The UK also has a seat on the AEC and has regular contact and discussion with the IGAD member states' representatives.

Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made against its policy objectives regarding Tibet since 1 January 2008; what specific outcomes have resulted from steps taken by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 December 200 8
	Working to improve human rights in Tibet has been a consistent Government policy priority during the course of 2008. We raised Tibet at our UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January, where a broad discussion took place on minority rights and the role of the police, and also visited Tibet as part of that dialogue. There have also been several ministerial interventions on this issue, including statements by my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown and myself.
	We have consistently pressed the Chinese Government to engage in open and substantive dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama. We believe that the clear expression of support for dialogue from the international community, including the UK, was helpful in encouraging the dialogue to continue. Equally, we are disappointed that the process has so far failed to achieve results, and appears to have reached an impasse. I issued a statement on 24 November calling on both sides to resume discussions without delay, focused initially on identifying points of agreement within the proposals already put forward by the Tibetan side.
	We have also continued to express our concern, to the Chinese and publicly, over those who remain in detention, the increased constraints on religious activity, and the restrictions on access to Tibetan areas for foreigners. We have also continued to raise individual cases in conjunction with our EU partners.
	We will continue to work in support of human rights in Tibet, in accordance with the written ministerial statement that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 30-31WS.

Ukraine: Politics and Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of governance structures in place in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 18 December 2008
	An assessment of the effectiveness of Ukraine's governance structures can be found in the European Commission's review of Ukraine's progress against its European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan:
	http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/progress2008/sec08_402_en.pdf
	Ukraine has made some encouraging recent progress on democratisation, with three consecutive elections recognised as largely free and fair. But Ukraine must address a number of key issues if it is to consolidate these recent democratic gains, strengthen its democratic institutions and achieve greater domestic political stability. Key areas of concern are high levels of corruption, weak rule of law and ambiguities in the constitution. We are working closely with Ukraine on all of these issues, in particular through the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to monitor the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 12 January 2009
	We are following the situation in Zimbabwe very closely, including through our embassy in Harare, as well as our other missions in the region, which continue to monitor the situation. Ministers maintain a keen interest in developments and are regularly briefed on the political and humanitarian situation. We are continuing to work with states in the region and the wider international community to encourage a durable solution.

TREASURY

Child Benefit

Terry Rooney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average it took the Child Benefit Centre to process a  (a) change of circumstances notification,  (b) new application for benefit and  (c) new application where the reason for the claim was other than a new birth in each of the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: For information requested in  (a), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) aimed to process 95 per cent. of changes in circumstance within 10 working days in 2007-08. Performance results for January 2008 to March 2008 are as follows:
	98.0 per cent. in January 2008
	98.5 per cent. in February 2008
	95.2 per cent. in March 2008
	Performance information for 2008-09 will be available in due course. For information requested in  (b) and  (c), HM Revenue and Customs aimed to decide 69 per cent. of child benefit claims within five working days and 95 per cent. within 36 working days in 2007-08. Performance results for January 2008 to March 2008 are as follows:
	71.9 per cent. within five working days and 93.9 per cent. within 36 working days in January 2008.
	62.6 per cent. within five working days and 93.4 per cent. within 36 working days in February 2008.
	60.4 per cent. within five working days and 90.7 per cent. within 36 working days in March 2008.
	For the period from April 2008, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 22 October 2008,  Official Report , column 356W. Separate information is not available in the format requested.

Consolidated Fund: Fines

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 689W, on the Consolidated Fund: fines, which part of Government holds the information on the revenue received from fines.

Yvette Cooper: The Consolidated Fund does not separately identify revenue surrendered to the Exchequer relating to fines. Public bodies involved in the collection of fines will hold the information on their revenue and will publish accounts of their activities.

Departmental Databases

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008 to my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East, (James Duddridge)  Official Report, column 371W, on departmental databases, which aspects of financial exclusion MOSAIC and ACORN data were used to inform.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury used ACORN data to map the areas of financial exclusion reported in the Government's first financial inclusion strategy. MOSAIC data was used to map the demand for third sector affordable credit and to map and identify areas of high financial exclusion.

Economic and Monetary Union

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received in support of not taking the UK into the euro zone without a referendum.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

EU Grants and Loans

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what applications for approval of state aid made to the European Commission by his Department are awaiting determination; and on what date each such application was made.

Ian Pearson: There are currently five state aid applications made by HM Treasury, which are awaiting approval from the European Commission. They are as follows:
	1. Venture Capital Trusts, notified on 15 May 2007.
	2. Enterprise Investment Scheme, notified on 15 May 2007.
	3. Corporate Venturing Scheme, notified on 15 May 2007.
	4. Enterprise Management Incentives, notified on 31 June 2008.
	5. Northern Rock—restructuring aid package, notified on 17 March 2008.

Fraud

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government organisations and departments are responsible for investigating fraud; what the procedures are for  (a) co-ordination of their activities and  (b) taking decisions on which agency takes the lead in investigating particular cases; if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the system; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Each individual Government body is responsible for investigating fraud against that organisation.
	The National Fraud Strategic Authority (NFSA), launched on 1 October 2008, was set up to help organisations (both public and private) to co-ordinate their activities and work better together to build a more hostile environment for fraudsters. HM Treasury provides leadership by: outlining the responsibilities of Government sector organisations in 'Managing Public Money' and publishing data about internal fraud against Departments and executive agencies in the Government Annual Fraud Report.
	Fraud is usually discovered through the normal operation of control procedures in individual Government agencies or as a result of individuals reporting their suspicions of fraud (e.g. to hotlines operated by those agencies.) Individual agencies investigate the cases that they discover or are made aware of.
	This arrangement allocates responsibility to those most immediately placed to deal with it. All Government organisations use their internal audit functions to alert them to fraud and to advise about the effectiveness of their internal control processes. Those bodies where fraud risk is highest (e.g. DWP, HMRC, MOD, NHS) employ dedicated experienced fraud experts.
	Following the recommendations of the Fraud Review, the National Fraud Reporting Centre (NFRC) and National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) will track all fraud against UK organisations including government bodies. The City of London police force plans for this new resource to start towards the end of 2010.

Government Procurement Card

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum value of transactions is that can be made using the Government Procurement Card.

Angela Eagle: The maximum single transaction value that can be made using the Government Procurement Card is equivalent to $500,000.
	There is no minimum transaction value.
	Such high value transactions would be subjected to an extremely high level approval process from the card issuing bank, before payments were made to suppliers.

Government Procurement Card

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 11 December 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on the Government Procurement Card, which are the card-issuing banks.

Angela Eagle: The Government Procurement Card service is headed up by Visa Europe together with six card issuing banks. These banks are:
	Barclaycard Commercial
	Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
	NatWest Bank
	Ulster Bank
	The Cooperative Bank
	Lloyds TSB

Government Procurement Card

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 11 December 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on the Government Procurement Card, what bodies other than the card issuing banks hold data on card transactions.

Angela Eagle: The card issuing banks are the main bodies that store data for transactions made through the Government Procurement Card (GPC) service.
	Some customer organisations will hold their own GPC transactional data, this being provided by the card issuing banks. Additionally some customer organisations may hand off GPC transactional data to third party service providers, to help streamline the purchase to pay process.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Evan Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional revenue he expects to raise from the proposed 45 per cent. income tax band over the next three financial years.

Stephen Timms: The Exchequer effect for the next three tax years is shown in Table 1.2 of pre-Budget report, November 2008.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander: Isle of Man

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many UK citizens he estimates have lost their savings as a result of the collapse of Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Isle of Man bank.

Ian Pearson: The UK Government and the Financial Services Authority do not hold such information.
	Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man are a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man.

Knowledge Network Project

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answers of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2134W, and 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 124W, on the Knowledge Network Project, if he will place in the Library a copy of the user manuals or guidance given to civil servants on using the Knowledge Network.

Angela Eagle: The user manuals or guidance on the Knowledge Network Project are produced by the owners, and not by OGCbuying.solutions, therefore copies are not held centrally.

Local Government: Waste Management

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effects on local authorities' expenditure on landfill waste of reductions in recycling levels in the current economic situation.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The effects of the current downturn in recycling markets on local authority expenditure depend on a number of factors and we have not yet made such an estimate. But according to the best available information, there has been no significant increase to date in the use of landfill, and I would like to congratulate local authorities and householders for the efforts they are making to keep recycling going in present circumstances. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely in liaison with the Local Government Association, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the Environment Agency, the waste management industry and others.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters of 16 October and 15 December 2008 from the hon. Member for Billericay on a constituent, Mr. Tony Lowe.

Stephen Timms: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 January 2009.

National Insurance

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many national insurance cards were reported lost or stolen in the last 12 months; and how many valid national insurance cards there were in that period.

Stephen Timms: A breakdown of the number of national insurance (NI) cards reported lost or stolen in the last 12 months is not held. It is also not possible to state how many valid NI cards are in circulation; controls are in place but as NI cards are purely for notification they are not treated as secure items.

National Insurance Contributions

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people ineligible to purchase voluntary national insurance contributions in respect of tax years  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2001-02 were sent information on the schemes for those years.

Stephen Timms: HMRC sends this information to people it considers eligible. While some ineligible people will receive it inadvertently, no data are available on how many.

Stamp Duty

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of stamp duty; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Stamp duty, like all other taxes, is kept under review.

UK Financial Investments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the functions of UK Financial Investments are.

Ian Pearson: The overarching objectives for UKFI will be to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder with due regard to the maintenance of financial stability and to act in a way that promotes competition. More details can be found in the letter dated 3 November from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Chair of the Treasury Committee which is available in the House of Commons' Library.

UK Financial Investments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the budget of UK Financial Investments is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10;
	(2)  how many staff UK Financial Investments employs at each pay grade; and how many staff it plans to recruit in the next 12 months;
	(3)  which third party advisers have been contracted to advise UK Financial Investments on the management of its holdings in UK banks;
	(4)  what  (a) business plan and  (b) share management strategy has been put in place for UK Financial Investments; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: UKFI's annual accounts as well as HM Treasury's annual accounts will be laid before Parliament. In addition, the Chairman and Chief Executive of UKFI will make themselves available for scrutiny by the relevant parliamentary Committees.

UK Financial Investments Ltd.: Freedom of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK Financial Investments Ltd. will be subject to the provisions of  (a) the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) the Environmental Information Regulations provisions; and whether it is a non-departmental public body.

Ian Pearson: As it is a publicly owned company, UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) is a 'public authority' as defined by s. 6(1) of the Freedom of Information Act and also as defined by regulation 2(2) (b) of the Environmental Information Regulations when read together with s. 3(1) (b) of the Freedom of Information Act.

UK Financial Investments Ltd.: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants have been assigned to work for UK Financial Investments Ltd.

Ian Pearson: UK Financial Investments Ltd. is not part of the civil service, but a small number of civil servants (around five) are expected to be seconded into it.

VAT

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of value added tax due to the Exchequer between the date of the reduction of the rate to 15 per cent. and the latest date for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Monthly VAT receipts are available from the VAT National Statistics Bulletin published at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullvat.

VAT: Local Government

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy of the European Court of Justice ruling on value added tax liability and local authority services.

Stephen Timms: The Government are aware of only one European Court of Justice ruling on VAT liability and local authority services. This concerns off-sheet car park charges. The Government are considering the implications of the European Court of Justice ruling in this case. However, the matter has now been referred back to the High Court for judgment, and it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment while litigation is continuing.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Informal Testing

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued on levels of informal pupil testing in schools.

Edward Balls: The use of informal tests is a matter for schools and, while advice and support is available, my Department does not issue formal guidance.

Testing and Assessment

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the testing and assessment regime for schoolchildren; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the educational testing and assessment regime.

Jim Knight: Ofqual monitors standards of qualifications and assessments. They reported in July that standards are being maintained.
	Our recent decisions on assessment took full account of the Select Committee's recommendations. The Making Good Progress pilot is trialling new approaches to assessment. The Expert Group is taking views from a range of stakeholders before advising on improvements to assessment arrangements. We expect to respond shortly to Lord Sutherland's report, published on 16 December, and to implement the recommendations in full.

National Challenge

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of transience on strategies for National Challenge schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I am aware that transience—or in-year pupil mobility—causes particular difficulties in some schools especially, but not exclusively, in seaside communities. The National Challenge is designed to tackle all the barriers to learning associated with deprivation, and therefore reduce low educational attainment. Individual schools are being supported with fresh resources under the National Challenge—each according to specific local need, including any problems of pupil transience.

National Challenge

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress has been made on agreeing proposals for improvement plans in connection with the National Challenge; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We have worked closely with local authorities to develop their plans to support schools in the National Challenge. We have agreed plans for 91 local authorities amounting to £52 million of the £400 million National Challenge funding and we expect to agree plans for the remaining four local authorities shortly. In addition, City Challenge authorities in London, Manchester and the black country continue to work with their advisers to develop school improvement plans under existing arrangements.

Building Schools for the Future

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for the future of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: Next month, I aim to publish the revised national programme for Building Schools for the Future, which prioritises the expressions of interest submitted in November by authorities, in line with our published criteria. This will include priority projects for 70 authorities not yet started in the programme, including Brighton and Hove. Partnerships for Schools will approach the most highly prioritised projects for evidence that they are ready to deliver and to join the programme.

Building Schools for the Future

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to announce the results of the latest round of bids for funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: Next month, I aim to publish the revised national programme for Building Schools for the Future, which prioritises the expressions of interest submitted in November by authorities, in line with our published criteria. This will include priority projects for 70 authorities not yet started in the programme, including Stockport. Partnerships for Schools will approach the most highly prioritised projects for evidence that they are ready to deliver and to join the programme.

Building Schools for the Future

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for spending on the Building Schools for the Future programme in the next three years.

Jim Knight: Next month, I aim to publish the revised national programme for Building Schools for the Future, which prioritises the expressions of interest submitted in November by authorities, in line with our published criteria. This will include priority projects for 70 authorities not yet started in the programme, including Plymouth. Partnerships for Schools will approach the most highly prioritised projects for evidence that they are ready to deliver and to join the programme.

Building Schools for the Future

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proposals he has to bring forward spending under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: The Government are aiming to bring forward some of schools capital expenditure due in 2010-11 into financial year 2009-10, to stimulate the economy during the current economic downturn. However, because of the strategic planning that underpins Building Schools for the Future, it would be unsuitable for bringing forward in this way. BSF typically involves the design and build of entire new schools which are simply less suitable for bringing forward quickly for construction in a 12 month period.

Children's Services: Transparency

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to promote transparency in provision of children's services.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities are required to publish—following consultation—a Children and Young People's Plan for all services affecting children, young people and families in a local area. They must also publish a Local Area Agreement setting out targets related to all the local priorities for the area, including for children, young people and families. The performance of the local area's services for children, young people and families is assessed by the relevant inspectorates, which report publicly.

Entrepreneurs and Schools

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to encourage links between entrepreneurs and schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are investing £210 million in enterprise education from 2008-11, providing all secondary schools with the resource to help young people be creative and innovative, to take and manage risks. This investment also funds a network to support schools and Young Chambers which bring together chambers of commerce, businesses, teachers and young people to develop enterprise initiatives within schools. A National Skills Academy for Enterprise is being set up with the Peter Jones Foundation.

Children's Centres: Hastings and Rye

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding children's centres in Hastings and Rye constituency will receive in 2009-10.

Beverley Hughes: The funding allocated for children's centres for East Sussex local authority in 2009-10 is: £8,416,000 revenue and £1,456,000 capital.
	East Sussex local authority is responsible for managing Sure Start children's centres performance across their area and will decide how much to allocate to centres in Hastings and Rye.

Secondary School Admissions

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on Government policy on admissions to secondary schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We undertook an extensive consultation last year on the revised School Admissions Code to strengthen the admissions system for primary and secondary schools and place children and parents at the centre of the process. We engaged with local authorities, faith groups and other key stakeholders prior to, and during the consultation, to seek their views on our proposals. The national consultation was well received with the majority of responses coming from parents. The full consultation report is available on the departmental website.

Child Poverty

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on future legislation on child poverty.

Beverley Hughes: I have had regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and other colleagues about the forthcoming legislation on child poverty. We will shortly be launching a consultation on our plans to enshrine in legislation our commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020. We look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure that tackling child poverty is a priority at every level of Government and that all parts of society play their part in achieving our historic goal to end child poverty.

Free School Meals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of levels of educational achievement of pupils eligible to receive free school meals.

Jim Knight: The attainment of children eligible to receive free school meals has improved substantially in each of the last five years. That improvement is faster than for the cohort as a whole, so the gap is narrowing between the proportion of such children who achieve nationally expected levels including both English and mathematics, and the proportion for the rest of the cohort. In the Children's Plan and the recent New Opportunities White Paper the Government have committed themselves to further actions to improve attainment for such children.

Child Protection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the serious case review system in contributing to the protection of children.

Edward Balls: Lord Laming is preparing an independent report of progress nationally in safeguarding children, including on the effectiveness of serious case reviews. He will submit his report by the end of February and I will respond fully to it.

Child Protection

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children on the Child Protection Register in each region had not been allocated a health visitor in each year between 1997 and 3 August 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many children on the Child Protection Register in each London borough had not been allocated a health visitor in each year between 1997 and 3 August 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many children on the Child Protection Register in each London borough had not been allocated a health visitor between 9 September 2008 and the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many children on the Child Protection Register in each region had not been allocated a health visitor between 9 September 2008 and the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Child Protection

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on co-operation between children's services and housing authorities in relation to accommodation for vulnerable families with children; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: In May 2008, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Department for Communities and Local Government published guidance specifically relating to joint working between housing and children's services preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people, this can be found at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/goodpracticeguide
	This was to help the managers of children's services and housing authorities in both single tier and two tier authorities to plan and deliver changes for children, young people and families. The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families will not be making a statement.

Children: Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2008 to Question 244554, what the definition is of emotional abuse.

Beverley Hughes: Emotional abuse is defined in Chapter 1, paragraph 1.31 of "Working Together to Safeguard Children" 2006 as:
	The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmental inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child's developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another, serious bullying, causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Children: Day Care

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in each local education authority area provide wraparound school care.

Jim Knight: We do not collect information centrally on the number of schools providing wraparound care. We do, however, have information on the number of schools providing access to the full core offer of extended services in England. This includes access to a varied menu of activities, combined with child care in primary schools, from 8 am to 6 pm and during school holidays where there is demand. The following table provides details of the number of schools in each local authority that are providing access to the core offer of extended services. This shows that at 6 January 2009 there were 15,199 extended schools which represents around 67 per cent. of all maintained schools.
	There are many other schools which are already providing parts of the core offer, including child care and a varied menu of activities, and developing access to other services which are not yet included in these figures.
	We want all schools to offer access to extended services by 2010.
	
		
			  Summary of schools providing access to full core offer (FCO) of extended services, by local authority 
			   All schools  Primary schools only  Secondary schools only 
			  Local authority  Number of schools: Total  Number of schools providing access to FCO of extended services  Percentage of schools providing access to FCO of extended services  Number of schools: Total  Number of schools providing access to FCO of extended services  Percentage of schools providing access to FCO of extended services  Number of schools: Total  Number of schools providing access to FCO of extended services  Percentage of schools providing access to FCO of extended services 
			 Barking and Dagenham 58 37 63.79 48 28 58.33 9 8 88.89 
			 Barnet 116 87 75.00 87 61 70.11 21 19 90.48 
			 Barnsley 97 87 89.69 81 73 90.12 14 13 92.86 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 78 49 62.82 62 35 56.45 13 12 92.31 
			 Bedfordshire 217 121 55.76 146 75 51.37 55 33 60.00 
			 Bexley 79 64 81.01 58 45 77.59 16 15 93.75 
			 Birmingham 428 425 99.30 299 296 99.00 75 75 100.00 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 79 47 59.49 56 32 57.14 10 4 40.00 
			 Blackpool 40 40 100.00 29 29 100.00 8 8 100.00 
			 Bolton 122 85 69.67 95 63 66.32 17 13 76.47 
			 Bournemouth 38 28 73.68 26 20 76.92 10 7 70.00 
			 Bracknell Forest 37 21 56.76 30 17 56.67 6 4 66.67 
			 Bradford 193 133 68.91 157 108 68.79 29 23 79.31 
			 Brent 83 58 69.88 59 37 62.71 15 13 86.67 
			 Brighton and Hove 71 54 76.06 55 49 89.09 9 4 44.44 
			 Bristol City of 152 107 70.39 110 76 69.09 20 16 80.00 
			 Bromley 97 69 71.13 76 56 73.68 17 13 76.47 
			 Buckinghamshire 229 135 58.95 181 96 53.04 34 31 91.18 
			 Bury 81 51 62.96 63 35 55.56 14 12 85.71 
			 Calderdale 103 74 71.84 85 64 75.29 15 9 60.00 
			 Cambridgeshire 239 193 80.75 201 163 81.09 30 30 100.00 
			 Camden 57 44 77.19 41 32 78.05 9 6 66.67 
			 Cheshire 317 188 59.31 259 150 57.92 42 33 78.57 
			 Cornwall 274 195 71.17 237 166 70.04 31 26 83.87 
			 Corporation of London 1 1 100.00 1 1 100.00  0 100.00 
			 Coventry 113 111 98.23 85 85 100.00 19 18 94.74 
			 Croydon 122 76 62.30 88 53 60.23 22 15 68.18 
			 Cumbria 325 248 76.31 275 209 76.00 39 30 76.92 
			 Darlington 40 28 70.00 30 20 66.67 7 5 71.43 
			 Derby City 103 103 100.00 76 76 100.00 14 14 100.00 
			 Derbyshire 417 257 61.63 352 214 60.80 47 35 74.47 
			 Devon 365 213 58.36 316 176 55.70 37 26 70.27 
			 Doncaster 125 100 80.00 103 87 84.47 17 13 76.47 
			 Dorset 173 93 53.76 134 70 52.24 34 23 67.65 
			 Dudley 107 90 84.11 78 67 85.90 21 20 95.24 
			 Durham 287 184 64.11 229 141 61.57 36 26 72.22 
			 Ealing 86 58 67.44 64 42 65.63 13 9 69.23 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 152 94 61.84 127 77 60.63 18 16 88.89 
			 East Sussex 192 143 74.48 155 106 68.39 27 27 100.00 
			 Enfield 89 57 64.04 65 45 69.23 18 11 61.11 
			 Essex 569 313 55.01 469 249 53.09 79 56 70.89 
			 Gateshead 87 86 98.85 69 69 100.00 11 10 90.91 
			 Gloucestershire 299 195 65.22 246 159 64.63 41 31 75.61 
			 Greenwich 86 63 73.26 65 44 67.69 13 12 92.31 
			 Hackney 68 41 60.29 53 34 64.15 11 7 63.64 
			 Halton 67 48 71.64 52 36 69.23 7 6 85.71 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 52 37 71.15 34 26 76.47 9 7 77.78 
			 Hampshire 528 301 57.01 429 243 56.64 71 56 78.87 
			 Haringey 82 47 57.32 63 35 55.56 12 6 50.00 
			 Harrow 69 55 79.71 54 41 75.93 10 10 100.00 
			 Hartlepool 39 35 89.74 30 29 96.67 6 5 83.33 
			 Havering 83 57 68.67 62 45 72.58 18 10 55.56 
			 Herefordshire 100 82 82.00 81 64 79.01 15 14 93.33 
			 Hertfordshire 519 282 54.34 398 216 54.27 81 49 60.49 
			 Hillingdon 89 57 64.04 65 42 64.62 18 12 66.67 
			 Hounslow 76 62 81.58 58 46 79.31 14 14 100.00 
			 Isle of Wight 67 62 92.54 46 45 97.83 19 16 84.21 
			 Isles Of Scilly 1 1 100.00 1 1 100.00  0 100.00 
			 Islington 60 37 61.67 44 32 72.73 10 2 20.00 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 36 30 83.33 26 20 76.92 4 4 100.00 
			 Kent 577 393 68.11 449 315 70.16 103 66 64.08 
			 Kingston upon Hull City Council 94 80 85.11 71 59 83.10 14 13 92.86 
			 Kingston upon Thames 48 48 100.00 34 34 100.00 10 10 100.00 
			 Kirklees 191 146 76.44 151 120 79.47 31 22 70.97 
			 Knowsley 71 54 76.06 55 41 74.55 9 9 100.00 
			 Lambeth 84 58 69.05 61 44 72.13 13 6 46.15 
			 Lancashire 623 410 65.81 484 320 66.12 84 53 63.10 
			 Leeds 264 191 72.35 219 159 72.60 39 30 76.92 
			 Leicester 107 96 89.72 81 72 88.89 18 16 88.89 
			 Leicestershire 286 190 66.43 225 150 66.67 54 36 66.67 
			 Lewisham 89 59 66.29 67 51 76.12 14 6 42.86 
			 Lincolnshire 367 240 65.40 279 171 61.29 62 54 87.10 
			 Liverpool 179 114 63.69 131 83 63.36 31 18 58.06 
			 Luton 73 63 86.30 52 46 88.46 12 10 83.33 
			 Manchester 171 97 56.73 131 64 48.85 24 23 95.83 
			 Medway 108 62 57.41 85 49 57.65 19 12 63.16 
			 Merton 54 38 70.37 43 32 74.42 8 5 62.50 
			 Middlesbrough 55 48 87.27 42 38 90.48 9 8 88.89 
			 Milton Keynes 110 109 99.09 90 89 98.89 12 12 100.00 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 96 71 73.96 71 54 76.06 14 9 64.29 
			 Newham 90 68 75.56 66 49 74.24 15 13 86.67 
			 Norfolk 430 262 60.93 364 204 56.04 52 44 84.62 
			 North East Lincolnshire 65 49 75.38 50 38 76.00 11 7 63.64 
			 North Lincolnshire 81 71 87.65 66 58 87.88 13 12 92.31 
			 North Somerset 78 58 74.36 65 47 72.31 10 10 100.00 
			 North Tyneside 77 52 67.53 56 35 62.50 15 15 100.00 
			 North Yorkshire 385 281 72.99 324 227 70.06 47 42 89.36 
			 Northamptonshire 325 193 59.38 264 146 55.30 41 37 90.24 
			 Northumberland 197 161 81.73 134 105 78.36 54 48 88.89 
			 Nottingham 106 66 62.26 81 49 60.49 18 11 61.11 
			 Nottinghamshire 346 188 54.34 287 153 53.31 46 25 54.35 
			 Oldham 108 77 71.30 90 62 68.89 15 13 86.67 
			 Oxfordshire 291 164 56.36 232 122 52.59 34 26 76.47 
			 Peterborough 73 60 82.19 57 49 85.96 11 9 81.82 
			 Plymouth 97 69 71.13 71 51 71.83 16 11 68.75 
			 Poole 39 27 69.23 27 17 62.96 9 8 88.89 
			 Portsmouth 69 69 100.00 53 53 100.00 10 10 100.00 
			 Reading 52 30 57.69 37 20 54.05 7 7 100.00 
			 Redbridge 73 46 63.01 52 28 53.85 17 14 82.35 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 59 56 94.92 45 44 97.78 11 9 81.82 
			 Richmond upon Thames 52 38 73.08 41 30 73.17 8 5 62.50 
			 Rochdale 91 53 58.24 69 39 56.52 14 7 50.00 
			 Rotherham 124 91 73.39 99 70 70.71 16 14 87.50 
			 Rutland 21 21 100.00 17 17 100.00 3 3 100.00 
			 Salford 100 80 80.00 80 66 82.50 15 12 80.00 
			 Sandwell 116 108 93.10 94 89 94.68 18 16 88.89 
			 Sefton 106 78 73.58 76 53 69.74 21 17 80.95 
			 Sheffield 174 103 59.20 133 79 59.40 27 18 66.67 
			 Shropshire 164 109 66.46 140 91 65.00 22 18 81.82 
			 Slough 45 28 62.22 27 15 55.56 11 6 54.55 
			 Solihull 84 54 64.29 65 41 63.08 14 13 92.86 
			 Somerset 270 216 80.00 223 173 77.58 39 37 94.87 
			 South Gloucestershire 113 63 55.75 94 53 56.38 16 10 62.50 
			 South Tyneside 69 65 94.20 50 48 96.00 9 8 88.89 
			 Southampton 79 50 63.29 61 43 70.49 12 6 50.00 
			 Southend-on-Sea 54 26 48.15 37 21 56.76 12 4 33.33 
			 Southwark 99 74 74.75 70 55 78.57 15 9 60.00 
			 St. Helens 67 44 65.67 54 36 66.67 9 7 77.78 
			 Staffordshire 393 275 69.97 298 208 69.80 67 45 67.16 
			 Stockport 120 86 71.67 91 67 73.63 14 9 64.29 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 77 56 72.73 60 40 66.67 14 14 100.00 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 100 87 87.00 71 59 83.10 17 17 100.00 
			 Suffolk 343 226 65.89 255 161 63.14 78 55 70.51 
			 Sunderland 115 115 100.00 82 82 100.00 17 17 100.00 
			 Surrey 389 278 71.47 309 216 69.90 53 49 92.45 
			 Sutton 60 45 75.00 41 29 70.73 14 14 100.00 
			 Swindon 78 56 71.79 61 48 78.69 11 8 72.73 
			 Tameside 96 60 62.50 74 51 68.92 17 8 47.06 
			 Telford and Wrekin 76 57 75.00 56 40 71.43 14 13 92.86 
			 Thurrock 55 48 87.27 43 39 90.70 10 9 90.00 
			 Torbay 42 26 61.90 31 20 64.52 8 6 75.00 
			 Tower Hamlets 96 84 87.50 69 60 86.96 15 14 93.33 
			 Trafford 93 59 63.44 69 41 59.42 18 18 100.00 
			 Wakefield 150 120 80.00 123 104 84.55 18 14 77.78 
			 Walsall 120 82 68.33 86 61 70.93 19 11 57.89 
			 Waltham Forest 79 62 78.48 54 43 79.63 16 13 81.25 
			 Wandsworth 78 58 74.36 56 44 78.57 11 8 72.73 
			 Warrington 86 52 60.47 70 40 57.14 12 9 75.00 
			 Warwickshire 248 247 99.60 195 195 100.00 36 36 100.00 
			 West Berkshire 80 56 70.00 66 43 65.15 10 10 100.00 
			 West Sussex 288 210 72.92 232 172 74.14 40 30 75.00 
			 Westminster 56 34 60.71 40 24 60.00 10 5 50.00 
			 Wigan 133 87 65.41 104 67 64.42 20 14 70.00 
			 Wiltshire 238 135 56.72 203 107 52.71 29 25 86.21 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 63 39 61.90 45 24 53.33 13 11 84.62 
			 Wirral 130 81 62.31 93 61 65.59 22 13 59.09 
			 Wokingham 61 34 55.74 49 26 53.06 9 7 77.78 
			 Wolverhampton 109 69 63.30 77 45 58.44 18 11 61.11 
			 Worcestershire 239 154 64.44 183 124 67.76 45 26 57.78 
			 York 67 67 100.00 54 54 100.00 10 10 100.00 
			 Total 21,833 15,199 69.61 17,076 11,713 68.59 3,355 2,590 77.20 
			  Note: All schools includes nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.  Source: TDA Extended Schools database, 6th January 2009

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the level of English spoken by staff in childcare settings.

Beverley Hughes: No recent assessment has been made. The framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) introduced in September 2008 requires staff to have the right language skills to support children from birth to five to develop communication skills in English and to help ensure that their welfare needs are protected. The requirements for providers working with older children set proportions for the number of staff required to hold level 2 and 3 qualifications in an area of work relevant to child care (and the Common Core Skills for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register). As part of the requirements candidates need to demonstrate competence in English. Ofsted inspects providers against these requirements. The requirements on settings are designed to help ensure effective standards of communication in settings and to enable parents to choose providers who also speak their home language.

Children: Human Trafficking

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on child trafficking.

Beverley Hughes: The UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking published in March 2007 and revised in July 2008 sets out the responsibilities of Departments, including the Department, the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the actions they are taking. Implementation of the action plan is coordinated through the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking, which last met in November 2008. The Group ensures that all relevant Departments are fully engaged in tackling child trafficking.

Children: Mental Health Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the final report on the review of child and adolescent mental health services to be published.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The final report of the independent review of child and adolescent mental health services, "Children and Young People in Mind", was published on 18 November 2008. The report of the review's findings and recommendations to Government is available on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/CAMHSreview/.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, welcomed the report in the written ministerial statement on 18 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS, and set out their initial response to each of the review's 20 recommendations in a summary document that is available on the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families websites and the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Children: Obesity

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress the Obesity Observatory has made towards meeting its objectives; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The main functions of the Observatory are to: provide an authoritative source of data and evidence on obesity, overweight and their determinants; co-ordinate surveillance on obesity and overweight, including working towards the commitment to monitoring made in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Charter on Counteracting Obesity; analyse surveillance and indicator data, and report on progress against the new ambition to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels by 2020 in the context of tackling obesity across the population; provide guidance on assessing and evaluating pilots and demonstration sites in England; gather information on international best practice and developing links to the International Obesity Task Force, WHO, and other supranational bodies; and provide technical support to the Government's expert panel on obesity.
	In its first nine months of operation the Observatory has reviewed options for calculating child obesity prevalence in England; produced detailed analysis, commentary, guidance and data tools relating to the National Child Measurement Programme; and is developing a framework with supporting guidance and tools for use by primary care trusts and others in evaluating weight management interventions to enhance the evidence base. Reports published by the Observatory can be found on their website at:
	www.noo.org.uk
	Future plans include: making reports on obesity data sources and the availability of evidence; recommendations for improving data and evidence; wider evaluation support to practitioners; and further development of approaches to mapping obesity and its determinants building on work already undertaken.
	The Observatory works with a range of organisations to support policy makers and practitioners involved in tackling obesity and related issues and will continue to consult and communicate with key audiences to shape objectives, deliverables and future work areas.

Departmental Responsibilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of his Department's performance against its Objective 1 to safeguard children and young people, to improve their outcomes and general well-being, and break cycles of deprivation in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Keeping children and young people safe and promoting their health and wellbeing are top priorities for this Government and my Department. We have a range of policies set out across the Children's Plan which contribute to these areas and have introduced a series of national indicators and success measures to monitor our performance.
	The latest assessment of our performance, against Objective 1 is detailed in the Department's Autumn Performance Report 2008 (page 78 to 87), presented to the House in December 2008.
	In addition, our progress against indicators and success measures in the Department's Public Service Agreements (which include PSA 10 to raise the educational achievement of all children and young people; PSA 11 to narrow the gap in educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers respectively; PSA 12 to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people; and PSA 13 to improve children and young people's safety) is monitored quarterly. The assessment of our performance against our PSAs is also given in the Department's Autumn Performance Report 2008.
	Our approach to tackling child poverty, namely to break the cycle of deprivation, is set out in the Children's Plan and in the Child Poverty PSA (9). A key objective is to raise educational achievement for children and young people. The Child Poverty Unit (a joint unit sponsored by DCSF/DWP and the Treasury) was established to drive forward the delivery of the Treasury PSA: PSA 9 - to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Progress against PSA 9 is reported in the HM Treasury Autumn Performance Report.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for the education maintenance allowance are awaiting processing; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will estimate the amount of funds from the education maintenance allowance owed to students but not paid out as at 31 December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what percentage of young people in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire have received a weekly (i) £10, (ii) £20 and (iii) £30 education maintenance allowance in each year since the scheme began;
	(2)  how many people in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire who were entitled to education maintenance allowance (EMA) did not receive any EMA payments in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.

Foreign Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils eligible to receive free school meals attained a GCSE in  (a) German,  (b) French and  (c) Spanish in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information available is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Pupils in England eligible to receive free school meals who attained a GCSE in 2007 in the relevant language 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 German 3,532 4.6 
			 French 11,533 15.0 
			 Spanish 3,114 4.1 
			  Source:  National Pupil Database.

GCE A Level

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils in  (a) England and  (b) South West Bedfordshire constituency achieved A level passes in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 20 January 2009
	In 2008, maintained schools and colleges in South West in Bedfordshire, of those 16 to 18-year-old candidates entered for a qualification at least equivalent in size to one GCE/VCE A level in the maintained sector, 86.2 per cent. achieved at least one A level pass—that is GCE/VCE/Applied A Levels or Double Awards only, not all A level equivalents.
	For England as a whole, the corresponding figure (maintained sector only) was 75.3 per cent.
	In all schools and colleges in England (including the independent sector) in 2008, of those 16 to 18-year-old candidates entered for a qualification at least equivalent in size to one GCE/VCE A level in the maintained sector, 77.6 per cent. achieved at least one A level pass—that is GCE/VCE/Applied A Levels or Double Awards only, not all A level equivalents.

GCSE

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils achieved GCSEs grades A* to C including English and mathematics in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) nationwide in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many pupils achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) nationwide in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The requested information for pupils achieving at least five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C and at least five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A* to C including English and mathematics are provided in the following tables. Information about GCSE or equivalent attainment including English and mathematics for years prior to 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  at maintained schools achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and maths at GCSE and equivalent 
			   Jarrow parliamentary constituency( 2)  South Tyneside local authority district( 2)  North-east region( 2)  England 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2008(3) 453 45.4 833 42.6 14,421 44.9 287,985 48.3 
			 2007 470 43.5 878 41.9 13,646 41.9 274,811 45.9 
			 2006 398 40.4 791 39.5 12,807 40.4 261,332 44.1 
			 2005 334 35.2 663 34.3 11,805 38.1 248,169 42.6 
			 (1) Data are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. (2) Pupils attending schools located in the area. (3) Data are revised. 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  at maintained schools achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE and equivalent( 2) 
			   Jarrow parliamentary constituency( 3)  South Tyneside local authority district( 3)  North-east region( 3)  England  UK( 4) 
			   Number  %  Number  %  Number  %  Number  %  Number  % 
			 2008(4) 648 65.0 1,255 64.2 21,322 66.4 384,400 64.5 n/a n/a 
			 2007 653 60.4 1,242 59.3 19,728 60.6 359,753 60.1 476,835 61.3 
			 2006 552 56.0 1,112 55.5 18,199 57.4 340,481 57.5 456,680 59.0 
			 2005 497 52.4 1,000 51.7 16,616 53.6 320,591 55.0 432,894 57.0 
			 2004 466 45.3 912 45.2 15,793 48.8 306,939 52.1 418,158 54.2 
			 2003 430 40.6 894 43.5 14,985 46.8 296,497 51.3 409,420 53.5 
			 2002 451 42.7 903 42.2 14,061 44.3 276,245 49.5 394,894 52.5 
			 2001 447 42.3 789 39.1 13,525 42.5 265,507 47.9 375,135 51.0 
			 2000 378 39.9 723 39.3 12,694 41.7 250,937 47.1 354,300 50.4 
			 1999 395 41.5 728 39.8 12,056 39.3 243,871 45.6 341,003 49.1 
			 1998 357 38.1 672 36.9 11,279 37.1 231,223 43.8 328,818 47.5 
			 1997 373 38.8 668 35.7 11,492 36.8 228,655 42.5 291,686 46.2 
			 n/a = not available (1) From 2005 onwards, data are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Pre-2005, data are based on pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year. (2) From 1997 includes GNVQ equivalences and from 2004 other equivalences approved for use pre-16. (3) Pupils attending schools located in the area. (4) UK figures include all schools. (5) Data are revised.

GCSE

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils in  (a) England and  (b) South West Bedfordshire constituency achieved five A* to C GCSE passes including English and mathematics in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 20 January 2009
	The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils( 1)  achieving five or more A* to C GCSE passes including English and Mathematics at GCSE and equivalent, 2007/08 
			   South West Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency( 2)  Bedfordshire local authority  England( 3) 
			 2007/08(4) 48.2 49.3 47.6 
			 (1) Figures are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (2) Pupils attending maintained schools located in South West Bedfordshire Constituency. (3) Figures include all schools. (4) Figures are based on revised data.

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of 16 year olds achieved at least one GCSE at grade  (a) A*,  (b) A,  (c) C and  (d) D in (i) English, (ii) mathematics, (iii) science (dual award), (iv) geography, (v) history and (vi) science (single award) in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Information on the attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in years 2005 to 2008, and information on the GCSE attainment of pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year who sat examinations in 1999 to 2004, can be found on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website. Links to the appropriate pages are provided as follows.
	
		
			  Examination year  Web link  Table number 
			 2008 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000826/index.shtml 13 
			
			 2007 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml 13 
			 2006 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000702/index.shtml 13 
			
			 2005 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000664/index.shtml 13 
			
			 2004 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/SFR/s000585/index.shtml 12 
			
			 2003 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000474/index.shtml 9 
			
			 2002 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000377/index.shtml 9 
			
			 2001 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000334/index.shtml 6 
			
			 2000 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000266/index.shtml 7 
			
			 1999 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000163/index.shtml 7

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A* to C in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  at maintained schools achieving five or more A* to C grades at GCSE and equivalent( 2) 
			   Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency( 3)   Hertfordshire local authority   England  
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2007/08(4) 865 69.6 9,438 71.0 384,400 64.5 
			 2006/07 740 60.2 8,848 67.0 359,753 60.1 
			 2005/06 717 57.2 8,481 64.7 340,481 57.5 
			 2004/05 656 53.6 7,826 61.4 319,481 55.0 
			 2003/04 595 48.3 7,556 58.5 306,939 52.1 
			 2002/03 515 45.4 7,293 58.1 296,497 51.3 
			 2001/02 528 45.9 6,984 56.7 276,245 49.5 
			 2000/01 470 43.2 6,744 56.3 265,507 47.9 
			 1999/2000 534 47.3 6,497 55.4 250,937 47.1 
			 1998/99 545 47.2 6,349 54.9 243,871 45.6 
			 1997/98 509 43.5 6,249 54.0 231,223 43.8 
			 1996/97 474 39.2 5,884 50.7 228,655 42.5 
			 (1) Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Data for previous years are based on pupils aged 15 years old at the start of the academic year. (2) From 1997/98 includes GNVQ equivalences and from 2003/04 other equivalences approved for use pre-16. (3) Pupils attending maintained schools located in Hemel Hempstead constituency. (4) Figures for 2007/08 are based on revised data.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils achieved five GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the following table. Information about GCSE or equivalent attainment including English and mathematics for years prior to 2004/05 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  at maintained schools achieving 5 or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE and equivalent 
			   Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency( 2)  Hertfordshire local authority  England 
			   Number  %  Number  %  Number  % 
			 2007/08(3) 667 53.7 7,711 58.0 287,985 48.3 
			 2006/07 606 49.3 7,378 55.9 274,811 45.9 
			 2005/06 587 46.8 7,047 53.7 261,332 44.1 
			 2004/05 489 40.0 6,487 50.9 247,360 42.4 
			 (1 )Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Figures for 2004/05 are based on pupils aged 15-years-old at the start of the academic year. (2 )Pupils attending maintained schools located in Hemel Hempstead constituency. (3 )Figures for 2007/08 are based on revised data.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Hertfordshire

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils in  (a) England and  (b) South West Bedfordshire constituency who entered for one or more GCSE examinations entered for GCSE science at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 20 January 2009
	In 2008, in South West Bedfordshire, of those pupils in maintained schools who were at the end of their Key Stage 4 studies and who had been entered for one or more GCSE examinations, 97 per cent. had been entered for one or more science subjects at GCSE.
	For England as a whole, the corresponding figure (maintained schools only) was 95 per cent.
	In all schools in England (including independent schools) in 2008, of those pupils who were at the end of their Key Stage 4 studies and who had been entered for one or more GCSE examinations, 93 per cent. had been entered for one or more science subjects at GCSE.

Head Teachers: Qualifications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the likely level of take-up of the National Professional Qualification for Headship.

Jim Knight: The current national professional qualification for headship (NPQH) is being phased out this year following the introduction of the redesigned NPQH in September 2008. Recruitment to the redesigned NPQH to the end of March 2009 is estimated to be 1,500, while 4,008 have already graduated from the current NPQH since April 2008.
	The National College of School Leadership will estimate the level of annual recruitment required based on the level of headship vacancies and include an additional percentage to allow for unavoidable deferrals and withdrawals. This number will be between 2,000 and 2,500 each year.

Headteachers: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in what circumstances Ofsted may be required to inspect a school in the event of a suspension of a headteacher or other senior staff.

Jim Knight: Ofsted is required to inspect all maintained schools on a three year cycle. Within the cycle, the timing of inspections is determined by Ofsted. Decisions on scheduling take account of a range of factors which may include the stability of school leadership. If parents have concerns about the leadership and management of their child's school, they may complain to Ofsted, which has powers to investigate. Such an investigation could lead to a school being inspected. The Chief Inspector has powers to inspect a school at any time and the Secretary of State has powers to require Ofsted to inspect a school.

Home Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 511W, on home education, and the subsequent establishment of the Elective Home Education Review, if he will collect information centrally on the number of children home educated in each local authority area.

Jim Knight: There are no current plans to collect information centrally about the number of home educated children. We will consider this and other aspects of our approach to home education after receiving the report of the recently commissioned review of home education.

Home Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to encourage positive home learning environments.

Jim Knight: The Department has announced an independent review of home education. The review will assess the effectiveness of the current arrangements to ensure that any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively. It will also investigate whether local authorities are providing the right type, level and balance of support to home educating families to ensure that they are undertaking their duties to provide a suitable full-time education to their children. Where necessary, the review will also make recommendations for improvements. The review will conclude with a published report in May 2009.
	The Department provides a range of guidance for all parents on helping their children learn outside the classroom. This can be found on the Department's website.

Improving Information Sharing and Management Programme

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Improving Information Sharing and Management Programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of ContactPoint; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the operation of  (a) the Integrated Children's and  (b) the Client Caseload Information system; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The first IISaM survey which will establish the baseline is planned to take place later this year. It will include a section on ContactPoint, eCAF and ICS to be completed as appropriate by practitioners. Views will be sought from practitioners that use the system, based on their experiences of working with children, young people and families. The survey will be carried out annually and used with management information from the system to identify trends and track progress towards realising the benefits of each of the systems. The results of the survey will be collated at both national and local authority level.
	ContactPoint has not yet been deployed. In August 2008, we announced that ContactPoint deployment would begin in January 2009. That remains the position and we are on track to deploy the first phase of ContactPoint before the end of January.
	The full implementation of the Integrated Children's System (ICS) is not yet complete. 12 local authorities have not yet implemented phase 1B of ICS, and no authority has yet implemented the final component, which deals primarily with looked-after children and family court processes. This work is due to take place during 2009-10. We will also take account of any recommendations relevant to the operation of ICS that may arise from Lord Laming's report.
	The effectiveness of the Client Caseload Information System (CCIS) was assessed by the National Audit Office in its study of the Connexions Service in 2004. The tracking capability of the CCIS system and its capability to generate robust management information was explored and subsequently commended as a key lever in the national strategy to tackle the issue of 16 to 18-year-olds in England not in education, employment or training.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to reply to the letter of 17 November 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mrs. R. Campion.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has received a great deal of correspondence since November when the Baby P case was widely publicised and there has inevitably been a delay in responding to some letters. The correspondence referred to was answered on 15 January 2009.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what risks the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has identified in Key Stage 2 test delivery in 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what risks have been identified in Key Stage 2 test administration in 2009; and if he will make a statement

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the administration of the key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests. The QCA has assessed the overall risks for the delivery in 2009. The QCA has engaged additional support to identify, categorise and mitigate as much as possible, operational risks as they arise. In line with Lord Sutherland's recommendations on risk management, the QCA has reviewed and strengthened its risk management and escalation processes to provide greater visibility not only of the cause and effect of risks, but active monitoring of the planning, implementation and effect of mitigations and contingencies.
	The Department has also further strengthened its existing governance arrangements and will closely monitor delivery arrangements for the 2009 test cycle, ensuring that the Department is able to both challenge and support the QCA to secure successful delivery of the 2009 test cycle. The new supplier, Edexcel, has a strong track record in delivery of tests and exams. The Department will be publishing a full response to Lord Sutherland's report later this month.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of schools will be taking the Key Stage 3 tests in 2009; and on what date a communication was sent to schools asking them about their participation in the tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 673, that Key Stage 3 (KS3) national curriculum tests would no longer be a statutory obligation. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the administration of the Key Stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests and for fulfilling orders for optional KS3 national curriculum tests.
	At 19 January 2009, a total of 3,346 schools had ordered one or more KS3 national curriculum tests for 2009. A total of 4,158 schools ordered KS3 tests in 2008. The QCA has communicated the new arrangements to schools on five separate occasions from 17 October 2008 to 9 December 2008 via its test updates.

Performing Right Society

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his Department has had with the Performing Right Society (PRS) on (i) the way in which they contact organisations who may need a PRS licence and (ii) the effect on very small businesses of having to pay for PRS licences; and if he will bring forward proposals to establish an independent complaints procedure to govern the PRS's activities.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	As the Minister for Intellectual Property I have met the PRS, and my officials have frequent exchanges with the PRS, in which these matters have been covered. The PRS have confirmed that by the end of January they will publish a draft Code of Practice governing customer relations, and establishing an independent complaints procedure. I will continue to follow this closely, and will want to see how stakeholders respond to that draft. As regards small businesses, as explained on 12 November 2008,  Official Report, column. 917, it was suggested to the PRS that they reflect on the range and type of business which they licence.

Personal Income

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of low educational attainment on employability and life time income.

Jim Knight: There is strong evidence to show significant wage and employment benefits for young people achieving well at school, compared to young people who do not attain. These benefits persist throughout people's lifetimes. There are also clear benefits of higher skill levels to the economy and to society. There are a number of studies looking at wage and employment benefits of qualifications. For example, research by the Centre for the Economics of Education found that people with five or more GCSEs at A*-C earn on average around 9-11 per cent. more than those without and are around 3 percentage points more likely to be employed. People achieving one to four GCSEs at A*-C earn a positive wage return of around 5 per cent. and are around 1-2 percentage points more likely to be employed than those without.
	The Department is committed to enabling as many young people as possible to achieve their potential. Raising the participation age (RPA) from 2013 will be a key lever to improve the attainment of young people as they enter the labour market. Independently verified research estimates the economic benefits of raising the participation age to be around £2.4 billion per year group over the course of their lifetime. This research was published alongside the introduction of the Education and Skills Bill to the House in November 2007.
	For further details of the methodology and data sources used to estimate the economic benefits of RPA (and the magnitude of the benefits under alternative scenarios), the full report is accessible at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW026.pdf
	The research has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how frequently early years settings must apply for exemption from the early years foundation stage to sustain exempted status;
	(2)  how many early years settings have applied for an exemption from the early years foundation stage in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: Providers can only apply for exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS (not the welfare requirements). Exemptions are time limited and vary between one and two years depending on the type of exemption granted. Further guidance on the exemption process and types of exemptions that can be applied are available on the QCA website. Since the introduction of the process in September 2008, one application for exemption has recently been received by the QCA.

Primary Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has evaluated into factors which contribute to disparities in achievement and attainment between primary school children.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned and reviewed a wide range of evidence on the factors contributing to disparities in achievement and attainment at primary school. The main factors identified by research can be summarised as follows:
	Family circumstances: Low family income has been shown to have an impact on children's outcomes at school, even when controlling for the effect of other factors associated with deprivation(1). Similarly, family socioeconomic status is known to have a significant impact on cognitive outcomes(2). The level of education achieved by parents is also strongly associated with their children's outcomes(3), as is parental involvement in education: in particular, the quality of the "home learning environment" varies between families(4) and has persistent effects during primary school(5).
	The school effect: There is strong and robust evidence to suggest that regardless of the influence of family circumstances outlined above, schools are independently important for children's outcomes. However, some schools are more effective than others, or effective in different ways(6). Analysis suggests that 17 per cent. of the unexplained variation in pupil value added scores between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 can be explained by differences between schools(7). The school effect is multifaceted and complex, but we know that both teaching quality and leadership are two key components(8).
	Long-term impact of early learning experiences: children who attend higher quality pre-school settings perform better at primary school than similar pupils who attend a lower quality pre-school or no pre-school(9).
	Health: low birth weight and early health or developmental problems can be a significant influence on cognitive outcomes(10).
	English as an additional language: performance at primary school has been shown to vary according to whether children are eligible for support with English as an additional language(11).
	Special educational needs: children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) or who are registered as School Action Plus during Key Stage 2 demonstrate lower Key Stage 2 performance compared to similar pupils with no identified SEN, even when prior attainment and other characteristics are taken into account(12). Raw figures show that they are 52 percentage points behind children with no identified SEN on the national indicator of achieving Level 4 in both English and maths at Key Stage 2(13).
	Mobility: on average, children who change school during Year 6 demonstrate lower Key Stage 2 performance compared to similar pupils who remain at the same school(14), even when accounting for prior attainment.
	(1) Hobbs (2003); Feinstein et al (2004)
	(2) Sammons et al (2007)
	(3) Hobbs (2003)
	(4) Sylva et al (2004)
	(5) Sammons et al (2007)
	(6) Feinstein et al (2004); Sammons et al (1995)
	(7 )DfES (2004)
	(8) Sammons et al. (2008); Leithwood et al (2006)
	(9) Sammons et al (2007)
	(10) Sammons et al (2007)
	(11) Sammons et al (2007)
	(12) From DCSF contextualised value-added modelling for 2007
	(13) SFR38/2007 National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07
	(14 )From DCSF contextualised value-added modelling for 2007
	 References
	DfES (2004) "Variations in Pupil Progress 2003". Statistical Bulletin.
	Feinstein, L. Duckworth, K, and Sabates, R (2004) A Model of the Intergenerational Transmission of Educational Success. Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report 10. London: Institute of Education.
	Hobbs (2003) Understanding socioeconomic group differences in educational achievement: a literature review. Background paper for the Department for Education and Skills/HM Treasury seminar on child poverty and education outcomes, 24 November 2003.
	Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., Harris, A., and Hopkins, D. (2006) Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership and Management, Volume 28, Issue 1 February 2008, pages 27-42
	Sammons, P., Hillman, J. and Mortimore, P. (1995). Key Characteristics of Effective Schools: A review of school effectiveness research. London: Ofsted
	Sammons et al (2007) Summary Report: Influences on Children's Attainment and Progress in Key Stage 2: Cognitive Outcomes in Year 5. DCSF Research Report 828.
	Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., Barreau, S. and Grabbe, Y. (2008) Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11) The Influence of School and Teaching Quality on Children's Progress in Primary School. DCSF Research Report RR028
	1. Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Taggart, B. (2004) The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Final Report.

Pupil Exclusions: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) male and  (b) female pupils receiving free school meals received (i) one or more, (ii) five or more and (iii) 10 or more fixed period exclusions in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on the numbers of pupils with fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time for the school year 2003/04. However data linked to free school meal eligibility is only available for the school years 2005/06 and 2006/07.
	The available data for the years 2005/06 and 2006/07 is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2,3) —P upils eligible to receive free school meals with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion by gender( 4) ,  2006/07 — England 
			   Pupils eligible for free schools meals 
			   Boys  Girls 
			   who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions  who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions 
			 Primary schools(1) 8,150 660 110 1,170 70 (5)— 
			 State funded secondary schools(1,2) 34,310 2,970 260 16,110 1,070 70 
			 Special schools(3) 2,110 340 70 240 20 (5)— 
			 Total 44,570 3,970 440 17,520 1,150 80 
		
	
	
		
			   Percentage of the school population( 6) 
			   Boys  Girls 
			   who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions  who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions 
			 Primary schools(1) 2.45 0.20 0.03 0.36 0.02 0.00 
			 State funded secondary schools(1,2) 15.41 1.34 0.12 7.27 0.48 0.03 
			 Special schools(3) 10.32 1.66 0.32 2.91 0.23 0.04 
			 Total 7.74 0.69 0.08 3.18 0.21 0.01 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2 )Includes CTCs and academies.  (3) Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools.  (4) The number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions in 2006/07.  (5) Less than 5.  (6) The number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions for each category expressed as percentage of the school population in January 2007 of that gender and eligible for free school meals.   Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Primary, sec ondary and special schools( 1,2,3) —Pupils eligible to receive free school meals with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion by gender( 4) , 2005/06( 5) —England 
			   Pupils eligible for free schools meals 
			   Boys  Girls 
			   who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions  who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions 
			 Primary schools(1) (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 State funded secondary schools(1,2) 34,160 2,630 200 15,840 940 60 
			 Special schools(3) (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 Total (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— 
		
	
	
		
			   Percentage of the school population( 5) 
			   Boys  Girls 
			   who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions  who received 1 to 4 fixed period exclusions  who received 5 to 9 fixed period exclusions  who received 10 or more fixed period exclusions 
			 Primary schools(1) (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 State funded secondary schools(1,2) 14.87 1.14 0.09 6.94 0.41 0.03 
			 Special schools(3) (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 Total (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— (7)— 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes CTCs and academies.  (3) Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools.  (4) The number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions in 2006/07.  (5) The number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions for each category expressed as percentage of the school population in January 2006 of that gender and eligible for free school meals.  (6) Not available.  (7) Not applicable.   Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  School Census.

Pupils: English Language

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which primary schools in England have 70 per cent. or more of their pupils for whom English is not their first language; and how many and what proportion of pupils at each such school do not have English as their first language.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding per pupil he expects his Department to have provided for education in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England in 2008-09.

Jim Knight: The revenue funding figures per pupil for Northamptonshire and the England average for 2008-09 are provided in the following table. This covers all funded pupils aged three to 19. Figures are in cash terms.
	
		
			  2008-09 dedicated schools grant + grants per pupil 
			   £ 
			 England 4,690 
			 Northamptonshire 4,360 
			  Note: Price Base: Cash. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10.

School Meals: Standards

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the updated regulations on food-based standards for school lunches have been implemented.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: All schools have to meet the food-based standards for school lunches which were introduced in September 2006 and, since September 2007, they have had to meet the food-based standards for other school food such as tuck shops, vending and breakfast clubs.
	The School Food Trust has launched a web-based tool that helps schools assess whether the food and drink they provide at lunchtime and at other times of the school day meets the food-based standards. All schools in England are being encouraged to use the checklist to assess their own compliance with the food-based standards.
	Nutrient-based standards were introduced for primary school lunches in September 2008 and will be introduced in secondary and special schools in September 2009.

Schools

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school buildings in (i) Hemel Hempstead, (ii) Hertfordshire and (iii) England in 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates school capital funding on a local authority basis, which is then prioritised locally in accordance with asset management plans. Accordingly, records are held centrally on a local authority basis, and do not distinguish between primary and secondary schools. Allocations to Hertfordshire in 2007-08 amounted to £50.2 million. Budgeted expenditure for England in 2007-08, including PFI credits, amounted to £6.435 million.

Schools: Conditions of Employment

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will agree to include a no detriment clause within the agreement on assimilation in the National Pay and Conditions Framework for School Support Staff; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, intends to establish the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) for school support staff pay and conditions through the forthcoming Children, Skills and Learning Bill which we intend to introduce to Parliament in the week commencing 2 February 2009. The detail of the proposed clauses will be published at that time.

Schools: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the schools budget of each local authority was for each of the last five years; and what proportion of that budget was delegated to schools in each case.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in both Libraries.

Schools: Fire Prevention

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme  (a) have and  (b) have not included sprinkler systems as part of the build.

Jim Knight: The decision to install sprinkler systems in new schools is one for local authorities to make, in accordance with government guidelines contained in Building Bulletin 100. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 7 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 200-01W, which gave information on the first seven schools built under Building Schools for the Future. Currently 50 schools have been opened and although we do not hold information on which of these schools have incorporated sprinkler systems, Partnerships for Schools plan to centrally record which schools have sprinkler systems in the next financial year. I will write to my hon. Friend when this is available.

Schools: Inspections

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the evaluation of reduced-tariff inspections of schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 21 January 2009:
	Parliamentary question number 247456: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the evaluation of reduced-tariff inspections of schools; and if he will make a statement.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Reduced tariff inspections (RTIs) of maintained schools were introduced in April 2006. As a result of the evaluation of these initial reduced-tariff inspections, changes were made to our risk assessment and to the level of pre-inspection engagement with the school from September 2007.
	All RTIs continue to be pilot inspections. The ongoing evaluation of these inspections is feeding into the current development of the new school inspection arrangements that will be introduced in September 2009. Further details of these can be found on Ofsted's website at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and- research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Consultations/A-focus-on-improvement- consultation-report.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: North East

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school buildings in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside and (iii) the North East in 2007-08.

Jim Knight: Capital allocations are made on a local authority rather than on a constituency basis, and no data are kept centrally relating specifically to Jarrow. Expenditure is prioritised at local authority level, and records on the split of expenditure between primary and secondary school buildings are kept at local authority rather than departmental level. In 2007-08, capital allocations made by the Department to South Tyneside amounted to £4.6 million, and to the north east region £99.6 million.
	In addition, Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough local authorities have commenced or will shortly commence Building Schools for the Future ( BSF) projects with an estimated capital value of £425 million. Redcar and Cleveland is also currently planning its wave six BSF project, which has an estimated capital value of £100 million.

Social Services: Doncaster

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons Paul Gray has been appointed as Interim Director of Children's Services in Doncaster; what Mr Gray's job specification is; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Dr. Paul Gray was recruited by Doncaster Metropolitan borough council in April 2008 to take up the position of Director of Children's Services on an interim basis to take lead responsibility for the Children's Services Authority's functions as set out in section 18 of the Children Act 2004 and section 4 of "Statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the Director of Children's Services and Lead Member for Children's Services 2005".

Social Services: Haringey

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1123W, on social services: Haringey, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the inspections of Haringey undertaken by Ofsted.

Beverley Hughes: Ofsted is an independent non-ministerial Government Department and HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has responsibility for matters concerning the quality of Ofsted's inspections. It is not the proper role of the Department to assess inspections. The December 2008 report of the joint area review of Haringey services, led by Ofsted, clearly identified a number of serious concerns and made recommendations to address them. In light of the report, the Secretary of State has taken urgent action to secure improvements in Haringey's safeguarding services.

Special Educational Needs: Expenditure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the planned net expenditure on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs is in each local authority for 2008-09.  [Official Report, 4 March 2009, Vol. 488, c. 7MC.]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information for planned net expenditure on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs in each local authority for 2008-09 is contained within the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			 England 5,135,650,000 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham 20,925,000 
			 Barnet 35,989,000 
			 Barnsley 19,542,000 
			 Bath & North East Somerset 12,926,000 
			 Bedfordshire 34,774,000 
			 Bexley 26,538,000 
			 Birmingham 144,766,000 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 17,111,000 
			 Blackpool 14,557,000 
			 Bolton 24,266,000 
			 Bournemouth 16,665,000 
			 Bracknell Forest 11,501,000 
			 Bradford 54,695,000 
			 Brent 32,436,000 
			 Brighton and Hove 29,617,000 
			 Bromley 35,488,000 
			 Buckinghamshire 66,268,000 
			 Bury 20,341,000 
			 Calderdale 24,612,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 54,165,000 
			 Camden 26,897,000 
			 Cheshire 82,232,000 
			 City of Bristol 39,475,000 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 31,505,000 
			 City of London 230,000 
			 Cornwall 44,491,000 
			 Coventry 40,157,000 
			 Croydon 40,033,000 
			 Cumbria 36,925,000 
			 Darlington 9,072,000 
			 Derby 31,568,000 
			 Derbyshire 78,002,000 
			 Devon 66,838,000 
			 Doncaster 21,377,000 
			 Dorset 38,018,000 
			 Dudley 26,488,000 
			 Durham 42,733,000 
			 Ealing 34,902,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 24,692,000 
			 East Sussex 53,290,000 
			 Enfield 32,930,000 
			 Essex 125,010,000 
			 Gateshead 19,555,000 
			 Gloucestershire 47,811,000 
			 Greenwich 35,261,000 
			 Hackney 28,865,000 
			 Halton 11,884,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 16,469,000 
			 Hampshire 95,480,000 
			 Haringey 30,294,000 
			 Harrow 30,438,000 
			 Hartlepool 11,062,000 
			 Havering 16,754,000 
			 Herefordshire 18,590,000 
			 Hertfordshire 93,993,000 
			 Hillingdon 30,047,000 
			 Hounslow 27,854,000 
			 Isle of Wight 11,064,000 
			 Isles of Scilly 75,000 
			 Islington 20,196,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 11,275,000 
			 Kent 137,108,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 17,071,000 
			 Kirklees 28,500,000 
			 Knowsley 18,694,000 
			 Lambeth 34,745,000 
			 Lancashire 127,470,000 
			 Leeds 61,928,000 
			 Leicester 39,587,000 
			 Leicestershire 54,449,000 
			 Lewisham 38,734,000 
			 Lincolnshire 64,950,000 
			 Liverpool 37,418,000 
			 Luton 21,605,000 
			 Manchester 60,985,000 
			 Medway 32,298,000 
			 Merton 21,913,000 
			 Middlesbrough 20,416,000 
			 Milton Keynes 36,413,000 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 24,497,000 
			 Newham 28,063,000 
			 Norfolk 69,847,000 
			 North East Lincolnshire 18,666,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 13,721,000 
			 North Somerset 16,711,000 
			 North Tyneside 19,717,000 
			 North Yorkshire 58,142,000 
			 Northamptonshire 45,417,000 
			 Northumberland 28,727,000 
			 Nottingham City 23,766,000 
			 Nottinghamshire 38,314,000 
			 Oldham 23,957,000 
			 Oxfordshire 54,331,000 
			 Peterborough 26,054,000 
			 Plymouth 30,153,000 
			 Poole 13,005,000 
			 Portsmouth 16,539,000 
			 Reading 10,927,000 
			 Redbridge 35,437,000 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 14,335,000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 16,554,000 
			 Rochdale 20,410,000 
			 Rotherham 25,964,000 
			 Rutland 3,195,000 
			 Salford 25,310,000 
			 Sandwell 36,371,000 
			 Sefton 21,523,000 
			 Sheffield 43,945,000 
			 Shropshire 18,852,000 
			 Slough 17,415,000 
			 Solihull 18,566,000 
			 Somerset 42,191,000 
			 South Gloucestershire 22,035,000 
			 South Tyneside 19,925,000 
			 Southampton 18,549,000 
			 Southend 21,697,000 
			 Southwark 34,069,000 
			 St. Helens 14,379,000 
			 Staffordshire 64,233,000 
			 Stockport 22,884,000 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 21,520,000 
			 Stoke on Trent 24,766,000 
			 Suffolk 58,255,000 
			 Sunderland 28,018,000 
			 Surrey 123,174,000 
			 Sutton 26,909,000 
			 Swindon 20,090,000 
			 Tameside 16,421,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin 16,624,000 
			 Thurrock 17,875,000 
			 Torbay 9,877,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 30,037,000 
			 Trafford 21,562,000 
			 Wakefield 27,464,000 
			 Walsall 33,335,000 
			 Waltham Forest 35,550,000 
			 Wandsworth 44,656,000 
			 Warrington 19,182,000 
			 Warwickshire 54,973,000 
			 West Berkshire 18,159,000 
			 West Sussex 89,168,000 
			 Westminster 21,155,000 
			 Wigan 27,206,000 
			 Wiltshire 34,018,000 
			 Windsor & Maidenhead 15,597,000 
			 Wirral 37,274,000 
			 Wokingham 15,400,000 
			 Wolverhampton 27,163,000 
			 Worcestershire 50,619,000 
			 York 15,917,000 
			  Notes: 1. Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools. 2. The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against "notional SEN" are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN. During 2008-09 local authorities in England also budgeted a further £552.6 million for SEN transport expenditure which is not included in the above table. 3. The data are drawn from Children, Schools & Families Financial Data Collection (Budget). 4. Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs by local authorities in England 2008-09. 5. Figures are in cash terms. 6. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding.

Special Educational Needs: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils with  (a) a statement of special educational needs and  (b) unstatemented special educational needs achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in each year since 1997, broken down by type of school.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 21 January 2009
	The requested information is only available from 2003 onwards. Changes to data collections and definitions over time mean that for 2003 to 2004 the figures cover pupils aged 15. For 2005 onwards, the figures cover pupils at the end of their key stage 4 studies. As the figures require details of pupil characteristics (i.e. SEN), they are only available for maintained schools.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of pupils with Statements of SEN achieving five or more grades A*-C by type of school 
			   2008  2007  2006  2005 
			   Number of end KS4 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE 
			 Academies 67 21.7 11 6.4 10 9.8 — — 
			 Community School 1,352 16.7 1,266 13.9 1,224 12.8 970 9.8 
			 Voluntary Aided 403 24.2 357 22.1 340 20.6 266 16.3 
			 Voluntary controlled 81 18.4 65 14.6 80 15.3 74 14.7 
			 Foundation Schools 597 22.6 429 19.8 372 16.7 304 14.9 
			 City Technology College 12 100.0 14 70.0 8 61.5 13 54.2 
			 Community Special School 51 0.5 47 0.5 39 0.4 26 0.3 
			  
			 Total 2,564 11.2 2,189 9.4 2,073 8.7 1,653 7.2 
		
	
	
		
			   2004  2003 
			   Number of aged 15 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of 15 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of aged 15 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of 15 pupils with Statement of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE 
			 Academies — — — — 
			 Community School 921 8.8 876 8.5 
			 Voluntary Aided 225 13.8 202 13.3 
			 Voluntary controlled 39 7.7 46 9.4 
			 Foundation Schools 280 13.2 239 11.5 
			 City Technology College 12 38.7 13 44.8 
			 Community Special School 25 0.3 25 0.0 
			  
			 Total 1,502 6.2 1,401 5.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and percentage of SEN pupils without Statements achieving five or more grades A*-C by type of school 
			   2008  2007  2006  2005 
			   Number of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of end KS4 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE 
			 Academies 1,141 34.6 358 21.6 262 26.5 — — 
			 Community School 18,880 28.3 13,380 21.6 10,336 17.6 8,017 15.0 
			 Voluntary Aided 4,577 36.8 3,299 29.7 2,610 26.3 2,084 22.4 
			 Voluntary controlled 726 27.6 588 24.2 513 22.3 435 20.2 
			 Foundation Schools 6,800 33.3 4,276 27.6 2,878 23.6 2,233 20.7 
			 City Technology College 81 81.8 129 72.5 135 64.6 175 64.1 
			 Community Special School (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 15 36.6 
			  
			 Total 32,205 30.5 22,030 23.7 16,736 19.8 12,959 17.1 
		
	
	
		
			   2004  2003 
			   Number of age 15 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of age 15 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Number of age 15 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE  Percentage of age 15 SEN pupils without Statement achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE 
			 Academies — — — — 
			 Community School 6,119 12.2 5,296 11.1 
			 Voluntary Aided 1,824 20.4 1,540 18.8 
			 Voluntary controlled 345 16.3 323 16.8 
			 Foundation Schools 1,867 17.2 1,517 15.7 
			 City Technology College 106 51.7 128 57.7 
			 Community Special School (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			  
			 Total 10,266 14.2 8,806 13 
			 (1) Figures suppressed due to small numbers.  Note: The figures in these two tables relate to pupils in maintained schools only.  Source: National Pupil Database

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department has allocated to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department funds the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust through a range of grants and contracts to support the Specialist Schools and Academies programmes and a range of other activities designed to raise pupil achievement. We estimate that total funding for SSAT through grants and contracts in 2008-09 will be £28,436,169. DCSF negotiates funding levels each year for individual grants and contracts. We are not in a position to estimate what the level of funding will be in future years—this will depend on our priorities at the time.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many teachers took a primary  (a) Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Arts and  (b) post-graduate certificate in education with a (i) language and (ii) mathematics specialism in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many teachers took  (a) a post-graduate certificate of education,  (b) a Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Arts,  (c) a school-centre initial teacher training course and  (d) another teacher training route at primary level with a specialism in (i) Mandarin, (ii) Japanese, (iii) Urdu, (iv) Italian, (v) French, (vi) Spanish and (vii) German in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the following table and shows recruitment to undergraduate and postgraduate primary modern foreign language initial teacher training (ITT) courses for the last five years for which data are available. Figures relating to 2008/09 are expected to be available by the end of January 2009. There are currently no primary ITT courses which specialise in mathematics; Mandarin; Japanese or Urdu.
	Over the last five years nearly 4,000 trainees in total graduated through ITT courses in primary modern languages. More trainees will be funded for these courses, including a projected 900 in 2008/09.
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools is also piloting this year, in partnership with 10 ITT providers, additional routes to boost the primary workforce teaching languages. A projected 3,000 trainees will go through these courses in 2008/09. Of these trainees, about one third are postgraduate trainees and two thirds are undergraduate trainees.
	
		
			  Number of new entrants on primary modern foreign language ITT courses between 2003/04 and 2007/08 
			   Total number of new entrants 
			   Primary— French  Primary—German  Primary—Italian  Primary—Spanish  Primary—Portuguese  Primary—total modern foreign languages 
			  2003/04   
			 Undergraduate 60 10 0 10 0 80 
			 Postgraduate 280 30 0 50 0 360 
			  of which   
			 School centred (SCITT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 330 40 0 60 0 430 
			
			  2004/05   
			 Undergraduate 60 30 0 30 0 130 
			 Postgraduate 290 60 20 60 0 440 
			  of which   
			 School centred (SCITT) (1)— 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Total 360 90 20 100 0 570 
			
			  2005/06   
			 Undergraduate 60 10 0 20 0 90 
			 Postgraduate 320 70 30 140 10 570 
			  of which   
			 School centred (SCITT) (1)— 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Total 380 80 30 160 10 650 
			
			  2006/07   
			 Undergraduate 70 20 0 20 0 110 
			 Postgraduate 320 80 40 160 10 600 
			  of which   
			 School centred (SCITT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 390 100 40 180 10 710 
			
			  2007/08   
			 Undergraduate 90 10 0 30 0 120 
			 Postgraduate 340 80 40 150 0 590 
			  of which   
			 School centred (SCITT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 420 90 40 170 0 720 
			 (1 )Less than 5.  Notes:  1. Coverage includes universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes.  2. Figures include trainees who are re-sitting all or part of their ITT programme.  3. Figures include trainees on courses of one to five year durations.  4. Figures are individually rounded to the nearest 10 and may not sum to total.  Source:  TDA ITT Trainee Number Census

Teachers: Training

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what is the cost to the public purse of training for teaching staff at schools in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Jim Knight: The requested data are not collected centrally with the required breakdown. However, the total expenditure by local authority maintained schools on development and training for all staff employed at schools and the central local authority expenditure on teacher development for 2007-08 is contained within the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Expenditure by local authority maintained schools on development and training (E09) for all staff employed at school  Central local authority expenditure on teacher development 
			 England (excluding Cumbria LA) 174,611,000 28,542,000 
			
			 North East Government office region 8,180,000 2,003,000 
			
			 Tees Valley sub-region 2,346,000 368,000 
			  Of which:   
			 Darlington LA 320,000 0 
			 Hartlepool LA 320,000 80,000 
			 Middlesbrough LA 410,000 150,000 
			 Redcar and Cleveland LA 450,000 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees LA 840,000 140,000

Teaching Methods: ICT

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department provided for the Next Generation Learning campaign in the last 12 months; and what funding it has allocated to the campaign for the next three years.

Jim Knight: The Next Generation Learning campaign sponsored by Becta is designed to raise the awareness of parents or carers, employers and learners of the benefits of the use of technology in education and to drive greater demand for it. It demonstrates how greater engagement with parents or carers can increase a learner's potential, how effective use of technology can improve schools and colleges, and how to ensure children are safe online.
	Becta funding for the campaign for the 12 months April 2008 to March 2009 was £3.1 million. Funding for 2009-10 and 2010-2011 has yet to be confirmed but Becta expect this to be in the region of £2.5 million per year. There is no commitment to fund the campaign beyond this period at this time.

Truancy

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils have had  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) more than five unauthorised absences in the latest year for which data are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information can be found at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000775/index.shtml.

UK Council for Child Internet Safety

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what date the UK Council for Child Internet Safety came into operation; and what funding his Department has allocated to the Council for each of the next three years.

Beverley Hughes: The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) was launched by the Prime Minister on 29 September and the first meeting of the Council's Executive Board took place on 9 December. The UKCCIS secretariat is currently establishing working groups to take forward the programme of activity agreed by the Executive Board.
	DCSF allocated up to £300,000 for the establishment of UKCCIS, although the implementation of the Byron Review relies on building digital safety into planned activities and services that are already funded. Longer term, UKCCIS goals will be achieved through working in partnership with Council members, such as the upcoming 'Know IT All' guide for primary teachers that is funded jointly by the DCSF, Becta and Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
	Budget allocations for UKCCIS are still to be finalised for the forthcoming year.

Young People: Drugs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of  (a) males and  (b) females under the age of 25 years who used Class A drugs in 2006-07.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	There are two primary sources of statistics on the use of illicit drugs by young people: the British Crime Survey (which covers England and Wales) and the drug use, smoking and drinking survey among young people in England.
	According to the 2006-07 British Crime Survey 10.6 per cent of males and 5.5 per cent. of females aged 16-24 reported using a Class A drug in the last year.
	Figures from the most recent smoking, drinking and drug use survey, which was carried out in the autumn school term of 2007, show that 3.8 per cent. of male pupils and 4.2 per cent. of female pupils aged 11-15 years reported using Class A drugs in the previous 12 months.

Youth Services: South East

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the budgeted net expenditure on youth services was in the south east  (a) by each local authority and  (b) per young person aged between 13 and 19 years in each of the last eight years.

Beverley Hughes: The Government do not set a budget for spending on youth services. Local authorities receive funding from Government through the revenue support grant for youth services, but it is up to them to decide how much funding should be spent based on Government priorities and local needs. Tables set out the net expenditure for each local authority in the South East per year since 2001.
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure by local authorities in the South East of England on Youth Services(1): 2001-02 to 2008-09( 2, 3) , Cash terms figures4 as reported by local authorities as at 14 January 2009 
			Budgeted net expenditure by local authorities in the South East of England Government Office Region on Youth Services( 1) 
			2001-02( 2)  2002-03( 2)  2003-04 
			  LEA number  Local authority name  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5)  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5)  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5) 
			   England 306,762,000 136 316,288,000 137 343,365,000 147 
			 
			  South East Government Office Region 40,157,000 109 41,990,000 112 47,003,000 122 
			  Bracknell Forest 758,000 144 651,000 122 923,000 174 
			  Brighton and Hove 771,000 80 778,000 77 882,000 84 
			  Buckinghamshire 3,163,000 130 2,788,000 113 3,012,000 119 
			  East Sussex 2,012,000 99 2,071,000 101 2,453,000 117 
			  Hampshire 4,635,000 97 4,903,000 102 5,243,000 106 
			  Isle of Wight 1,008,000 159 1,306,000 202 1,287,000 199 
			  Kent 4,688,000 68 4,980,000 71 6,180,000 86 
			  Medway 909,000 68 1,130,000 83 1,236,000 88 
			  Milton Keynes 1,775,000 180 1,935,000 194 1,877,000 183 
			  Oxfordshire 2,948,000 100 3,104,000 102 3,275,000 105 
			  Portsmouth 877,000 117 903,000 118 984,000 129 
			  Reading 1,657,000 293 1,896,000 329 2,064,000 353 
			  Slough 1,065,000 204 595,000 111 1,043,000 191 
			  Southampton 956,000 112 973,000 114 1,110,000 129 
			  Surrey 5,891,000 120 6,723,000 135 7,747,000 151 
			  West Berkshire 945,000 100 997,000 103 1,129,000 116 
			  West Sussex 4,171,000 130 4,450,000 135 4,605,000 136 
			  Windsor and Maidenhead 970,000 112 1,033,000 120 1,088,000 123 
			  Wokingham 958,000 120 776,000 95 867,000 103 
		
	
	
		
			Budgeted net expenditure by local authorities in the South East of England Government Office Region on Youth Services( 1) 
			2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  LEA number  Local authority name  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5)  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5)  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5) 
			   England 364,016,000 153 382,468,000 159 403,384,000 166 
			 
			  South East Government Office Region 49,632,000 127 53,768,000 137 56,254,000 142 
			  Bracknell Forest 920,000 170 1,048,000 196 1,001,000 184 
			  Brighton and Hove 901,000 86 1,073,000 105 1,029,000 102 
			  Buckinghamshire 2,935,000 114 2,994,000 115 3,167,000 120 
			  East Sussex 2,564,000 120 2,532,000 117 2,470,000 113 
			  Hampshire 5,295,000 106 5,832,000 116 6,524,000 129 
			  Isle of Wight 1,286,000 197 1,339,000 201 1,231,000 186 
			  Kent 6,833,000 94 8,568,000 115 9,560,000 128 
			  Medway 1,442,000 101 1,427,000 99 1,363,000 95 
			  Milton Keynes 2,062,000 195 2,145,000 198 2,375,000 215 
			  Oxfordshire 3,503,000 110 3,613,000 112 4,037,000 123 
			  Portsmouth 1,207,000 159 1,413,000 189 1,383,000 183 
			  Reading 2,152,000 373 2,078,000 370 1,673,000 300 
			  Slough 1,108,000 198 1,210,000 211 1,067,000 177 
			  Southampton 1,251,000 143 1,368,000 162 1,511,000 181 
			  Surrey 8,252,000 159 8,763,000 168 9,361,000 177 
			  West Berkshire 1,205,000 121 1,283,000 128 1,351,000 132 
			  West Sussex 4,701,000 136 4,938,000 143 4,932,000 141 
			  Windsor and Maidenhead 1,138,000 126 1,203,000 131 1,188,000 130 
			  Wokingham 877,000 103 944,000 112 1,031,000 123 
		
	
	
		
			Budgeted net expenditure by local authorities in the South East of England Government Office Region on Youth Services( 1) 
			2007-08  2008-09( 3) 
			  LEA number  Local authority name  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5)  £( 4)  £ per pupil aged 13-19( 5) 
			   England 410,373,000 170 451,393,000 188 
			   
			  South East Government Office Region 56,144,000 141 56,948,000 143 
			  Bracknell Forest 968,000 176 1,022,000 178 
			  Brighton and Hove 1,135,000 111 1,137,000 111 
			  Buckinghamshire 3,304,000 125 3,857,000 144 
			  East Sussex 1,941,000 90 2,185,000 101 
			  Hampshire 6,282,000 126 5,873,000 117 
			  Isle of Wight 1,336,000 204 1,375,000 212 
			  Kent 8,845,000 117 8,078,000 105 
			  Medway 1,437,000 101 1,782,000 124 
			  Milton Keynes 2,466,000 224 2,743,000 247 
			  Oxfordshire 4,000,000 120 3,889,000 119 
			  Portsmouth 1,297,000 171 1,431,000 193 
			  Reading 1,410,000 257 1,231,000 221 
			  Slough 1,153,000 184 1,608,000 247 
			  Southampton 1,749,000 212 1,784,000 221 
			  Surrey 9,970,000 187 10,024,000 189 
			  West Berkshire 1,323,000 127 1,374,000 132 
			  West Sussex 5,250,000 151 5,183,000 149 
			  Windsor and Maidenhead 1,246,000 136 1,343,000 149 
			  Wokingham 1,032,000 125 1,029,000 124 
			 (1) Youth service includes the following items of planned expenditure on the Youth Service and youth work: Employees Staff Training Premises related expenditure Transport related expenditure Supplies and services Third-party payments Support services Youth work costs at residential and non-residential youth centres Youth work costs at activity at outdoor and urban studies centres Grant funding to the voluntary sector for youth work. Financial data are drawn from local authorities' 2008-09 Children, Schools and Families Financial Data Collection (Budget) Statements and 2001-02 to 2007-08.Section 52 Budget Statements (Table 1) submitted to the DCSF. (2) The 2001-02 and 2002-03 figures also include any Local Authority Youth Service provision that contributed to the delivery of the Connexions Service plus any Connexions Service specific funding. (3) 2008-09 budget data remain provisional and subject to change by the local authority. (4) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding. (5) The figures for £ per pupil aged 13-19 are derived by dividing the total budgeted net expenditure on youth services by the total number of pupils aged 13-19 in all nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, pupil referral units, independent schools, city technology colleges and academies derived from the January School Census returns made by schools to the Department.

Youth Sport Trust

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department has allocated to the Youth Sport Trust over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department is paying grant of £13,460,576 to the Youth Sport Trust for work in connection with the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People in 2008/09. Work in this area for 2009/10 and 2010/11 will be procured through a competitive tendering exercise, for which the Youth Sport Trust will be entitled to bid. Funding for this work will come from total Government funding of £782 million set aside to deliver the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People from 2008 to 2011.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum fine may be imposed by a penalty notice for disorder for (i) possession of cannabis, (ii) being drunk or disorderly in a public place and (iii) using fireworks after curfew.

Maria Eagle: The penalty which may be imposed by a penalty notice for disorder for the offences of (ii) being drunk and disorderly in a public place and (iii) using fireworks after curfew, is fixed at £80. The penalty for possession of cannabis will also be £80 once the offence comes into force, subject to parliamentary approval.
	If no payment is received or court hearing requested within the suspended enforcement period, a fine of £120, one and half times the penalty amount, is registered by the courts.

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of penalty notices for disorder which remained unpaid  (a) six and  (b) 12 months after issue in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The total number and percentage of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) which were not paid from 2004 to 2007 in England and Wales can be viewed in the table. It is not possible to break down the data further into those which remain unpaid at  (a) six and  (b) 12 months as this information is not held centrally.
	PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over, by outcome, England and Wales 2004 - 07( 1,2) 
			   Outcome 
			   Number issued  Total paid in full  Percentage paid  Total unpaid  Percentage unpaid 
			 2004 63,639 33,078 52 30,561 48 
			 2005 146,481 77,247 53 69,234 47 
			 2006 201,197 104,546 52 96,651 48 
			 2007 207,544 106,925 52 100,619 48 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Penalty Notices for Disorder came into force in November 2004.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Cannabis: Penalty Notices

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the maximum quantity of cannabis of which an individual may be found in possession is before it would be considered appropriate to issue a penalty notice for disorder according to his Department's guidelines.

Maria Eagle: Penalty notices for disorder are not currently available in respect of possession of cannabis. When, subject to parliamentary approval, penalty notices for disorder become available for this offence, the Secretary of State will issue guidance under section 6 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 about their appropriate use.

Cannabis: Penalty Notices

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department's consultation on the use of penalty notices for disorder for cannabis possession offences was launched; and to whom the relevant consultation document was sent.

Maria Eagle: The proposal that cannabis possession should be added to the penalty notice for disorder scheme was made public in October 2008. There was no formal consultation document.

Corporate Manslaughter

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to bring into force immediately the remaining provisions of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: With two exceptions, all provisions in the Act were commenced on 6 April 2008. The exceptions are:
	Section 2(1 )(d) which extends the offence to duties of care relating to those detained at a custodial institution or in a custody area at a court or police station; detained at a removal centre or short-term holding facility; being transported in a vehicle, or being held in any premises, in pursuance of prison escort arrangements or immigration escort arrangements; living in secure accommodation in which they have been placed; and detained patients. The Government are firmly committed to implementing this provision within three to five years from the time that the new offence was commenced. Where implementation can occur sooner with respect to certain organisations, we will put the necessary arrangements in place to achieve this and will keep Parliament updated of any developments in this regard. As stated in our first report to Parliament in July last year, all the custody providers in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are working towards the provisions being commenced by April 2011.
	Section 10 which provides for the court to require a publicity order. We will implement this section following the issue of a guideline from the Sentencing Guidelines Council since this is a new disposal where we felt it important for guidance to be in place from the outset.

Corporate Manslaughter: Prosecutions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) charges and  (b) convictions there have been in (i) Essex and (ii) England under the provisions of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 since implementation of the Act.

Maria Eagle: The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force on 6 April 2008 and only applies to offences committed after that date.
	Charging data are not held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Prosecution data are normally provided in lieu. Court proceedings data for 2008 will not be available until the autumn of 2009.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department and its agencies provides for staff.

Shahid Malik: HM Court Service has directly operated services for staff at two locations, Barnsley and Nottingham magistrates courts. There are no franchised catering outlets; all other catering provision is through primary catering service providers.
	The Ministry of Justice has no franchised catering outlets, but has a number of contracted operations providing a variety of coffee bar, restaurant, hospitality and vending services at six of its headquarter buildings in London.
	Similarly, National Offender Management Services (NOMS) has no franchised catering outlets. Contracted catering services are provided at 28 prisons and two headquarter buildings. Central records of directly operated catering outlets are not held. To obtain this information would be at a disproportionate cost as records at each establishment would need to be checked.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of contractors and suppliers to  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have reported that they are compliant with the Government's security standards following publication of the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government, and the accompanying document, Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action, on 25 June 2008.

Michael Wills: The recommendations about data handling within Government that relate to contractors and suppliers are being taken forward in a number of areas across the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).
	Cabinet Office were updated on 19 September about progress taking forward these recommendations and continuing work to review data security provisions within contracts and to seek the necessary assurances from contractors and suppliers.
	The following action has been taken which updates the position reported to Cabinet Office:
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) carried out an analysis of their current non IT contracts following receipt of the data security directive. 519 contracts required inclusion of the additional clauses and letters were sent to all suppliers concerned requesting the integration of these new terms and conditions. To date, 66 contractors (13 per cent.) have responded and confirmed that the additional clauses have been integrated into their contracts. The work stream is being monitored on a monthly basis at senior management team level.
	The Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) has asked their suppliers to adopt an approach consistent with Ministry of Justice data handling and security requirements and has amended its Security Aspects Letters (SAL), which sets out these security requirements. To date, three of their four key suppliers have formally adopted the new protocols.
	Research unit has 10 contracts in place where suppliers have confirmed compliance with the new data security arrangements and two contracts have been awarded since June 2008 that already include the new security requirements.
	Democracy, Constitution and Law have one contract in place that complies with departmental data handling and information security requirements.
	Work is continuing with suppliers responsible for non IT contracts awarded by ex DCA Procurement, which includes contracts negotiated for Access to Justice, to put in place a standard contract amendment based on OGC terms. IT suppliers to MOJ (excluding NOMS) have been written to, reminding them of their obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 and specifically drawing their attention to the two issues that arose in the data handling review: one, the encryption of laptops, and two, restrictions on the use of removable media for transporting personal data. 31 suppliers were contacted and 59 per cent. of those suppliers have confirmed that they are compliant. This includes the two major IT providers.
	NOMS ICT supplier contracts have been reviewed, and appropriate standard wording identified to address data security issues. Work is in hand to negotiate these changes with suppliers.
	MOJ standard terms and conditions of contract are currently being reviewed and amended to address the data security issues raised by the Hannigan Report. The revised terms will be introduced shortly across the MOJ. In the meantime, standard wording addressing the data security provisions has been issued for inclusion in new contracts awarded prior to the adoption of the new standard terms.

Departmental Languages

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided.

Shahid Malik: The Ministry of Justice does not provide coaching in foreign languages centrally, and does not hold any records on this matter. To obtain the information requested would involve identifying and contacting sources of information in many different locations and would thus incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's internal guidance for officials on the drafting of answers to parliamentary questions.

Michael Wills: Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants on drafting answers to parliamentary questions was updated on 25 November 2008. A copy of the guidance is in the Library of the House. It can also be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_service/pq_guidance.aspx
	The Ministry of Justice's internal guidance for answering parliamentary questions was updated and issued on the Department's intranet on 10 December 2008. I will send the hon. Member a copy and also arrange for it to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many forms are required to be completed by a practitioner supervising an individual on a drug rehabilitation requirement.

David Hanson: Offender managers (OMs) are responsible for supervising offenders subject to a drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR) of a community order. While there are no nationally prescribed forms which they are required to complete, where orders include a DRR, OMs are required:
	in accordance with national guidance and locally agreed protocols, to provide the contracted treatment provider, the prison Counselling, Advice, Referral, Assessment and Throughcare (CARATs) team, the local Criminal Justice Integrated Team (CJIT) and any other relevant authority, e.g. police with such information as is necessary to support the administration of justice, manage risk and ensure that the offender's needs are met; and
	where the DRR is subject to periodic review by the court responsible for the order, to complete and submit to the court prior to each review a written report on the offender's progress under the requirement, as specified in legislation, Probation National Standards and related guidance.
	More generally, for the effective management of offenders under their supervision and in accordance with the requirements of Probation National Standards, OMs must:
	keep an accurate and up to date record of the case, including a contact log, in their local case management system e.g. CRAMS, ICMS;
	undertake an Offender Assessment System (OASys) assessment and conduct periodic OASys reviews to assess and manage risk of re-offending and harm and inform sentence planning and risk management;
	complete, review and update a sentence plan, which specifies planned interventions and the order in which these will be undertaken, and risk management plan;
	provide written information to the court, where an offender is deemed to be in breach of the order or the OM believes that, in view of circumstances which have arisen since it was made, the order should be revoked; and
	where appropriate and in accordance with the case transfer instructions (Probation Circular 25/2007), provide specific information, including a full transfer review of OASys, to the receiving probation area to facilitate transfer of the case and apply to the court for amendment of the order.
	Medical practitioners providing treatment to or directing the treatment of an individual on a DRR are not required to complete any nationally prescribed forms. However, legislation requires that they provide the supervising officer with their views as to the treatment and testing of the offender and the results of all drug tests for inclusion in the supervising officer's written report on the offender's progress submitted to the court prior to each review of the requirement. Information which probation areas require from treatment providers, including on the offender's attendance, participation and motivation, should be specified in locally agreed protocols.

Drugs: Sentencing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) custodial sentences,  (b) fines,  (c) community sentences and  (d) cautions there were in respect of (i) drug use and (ii) drug dealing in Essex in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The requested information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of persons fined, given custodial sentences and community sentences for drug offences( 1)  in Essex police force area, 2003 - 07 
			Community sentence  Fine  Immediate custody  Suspended sentence  Cautioned( 2) 
			  2003 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes 6 3 3 — 5 
			  Possession of a controlled substance 165 398 42 1 676 
			  Possession with intent to supply 19 — 55 1 3 
			  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled substance 11 2 20 3 9 
			
			  2004 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes 4 1 1 — 1 
			  Possession of a controlled substance 165 252 28 2 322 
			  Possession with intent to supply 18 1 42 2 3 
			  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled substance 8  32 2 8 
			
			  2005 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes 1 — — 1 3 
			  Possession of a controlled substance 180 246 30 3 493 
			  Possession with intent to supply 26 2 63 7 6 
			  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled substance 8 2 33 4 3 
			
			  2006 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes 1 — 1 — 3 
			  Possession of a controlled substance 117 221 31 11 802 
			  Possession with intent to supply 16 1 41 20 5 
			  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled substance 12 — 106 28 4 
			
			  2007 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes 2 — — — 3 
			  Possession of a controlled substance 118 133 16 16 1,006 
			  Possession with intent to supply 13 — 59 23 22 
			  Supplying or offering to supply a controlled substance 16 — 55 21 9 
			 (1) Includes all classes of drugs (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings These figures have been included in the totals These data are based on the principle offence basis  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system  Source: OMS Analytical Services. Ministry of Justice

Firearms: Convictions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of firearms offences in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts for firearm offences in England and Wales 1997 to 2007 can be viewed in the table.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for firearm offences in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3) 
			   Found guilty 
			 1997 2,691 
			 1998 2,750 
			 1999 2,278 
			 2000 2,080 
			 2001 2,136 
			 2002 2,169 
			 2003 2,275 
			 2004 2,453 
			 2005 2,405 
			 2006 2,013 
			 2007 2,106 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis, Ministry of Justice

Fraud: Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for fraud were brought in each of the last five years, broken down by investigating agency; and how many such prosecutions brought by each investigating agency resulted in a conviction in each year.

Maria Eagle: Data from the Ministry of Justice Courts Proceedings Database showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of offences relating to fraud, in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) are given in the following table. Details relating to the investigating agency are not held centrally.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to Fraud( 1)  England and Wales, 2003-07( 2,3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2003 20,787 15,223 
			 2004 19,391 14,960 
			 2005 18,500 14,750 
			 2006 18,312 14,759 
			 2007 19,406 15,619 
			 (1) Includes offences under the following Acts; Theft Act 1968, Companies Act 1985, Common Law and Criminal Justice Act 1987, Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951, Stamp Duties Management Act 1891, Public Stores Act 1875, Agricultural Credits Act 1928, Gaming Act 1845, Law of Property Act 1925, Land Registration Act 1925, Criminal Justice Act 1993, Social Security Administration Act 1992, Computer Misuse Act 1990, Enterprise Act 2002, Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, Fraud Act 2006, Land Registration Act 2002, Deeds of Arrangement Act 1914, Insolvency Act 1986, Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit - Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Freedom of Information

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 511W, on freedom of information, for what reasons the time taken by Freedom of Information Operation Team 5 to allocate to a complaints officer following receipt between April and September 2008 was 130 days compared to 64 for all Information Commissioner's Office cases.

Michael Wills: 64 days is the average time taken for the allocation of any case received by the ICO to a complaints officer, and includes the cases handled by an initial case reception team. Less straightforward cases are passed on to more specialist operational teams.
	Once the specialist teams receive a case, the team leader conducts an initial appraisal before it is placed in a queue to be handled by the next available caseworker. The 130 days referred to above is the average time taken between receipt in FOI Operational Team 5 to allocation to a complaints officer in that team.
	This information has been provided by the ICO.
	I will write to the hon. Member to arrange for more detail to be provided on the ICO's case allocation process.

House of Commons: Right of Search

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has attended with Mr. Speaker on the arrest of my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) and the search of his office; what was discussed; if he will place in the Library a copy of records held by his Department of such meetings; and whether he has received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the hon. Member for North Essex for this information.

Jack Straw: I have not attended any meetings with Mr Speaker on the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green). On 16 January 2009 my Department received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) for this information which will be dealt with in the statutory deadline of 20 working days.

Human Trafficking

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what public services are available to people deemed to have been trafficked.

Maria Eagle: The Government fund the Poppy project to provide specialist support to adult victims of human trafficking. Victims are provided with unconditional intensive support for an initial four-week period, with longer-term term services provided in return for co-operation with a criminal investigation. Victims are offered support with resettlement and have access to compensation through the courts and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. It is also open to victims to apply for protection through existing humanitarian and immigration routes. Eligibility for non-third sector public services is in line with existing immigration policy.
	The Government have ratified the Council of Europe Convention Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This will enhance our existing measures by extending the reflection-period to a minimum of 45 days and introducing new renewable one-year residence permits for those co-operating with the authorities. The temporary residence permits will allow recourse to public funds. It will also remain open to victims to apply to stay using the existing human rights and immigration protection routes.

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) former Probation Service and  (b) former Prison Service staff by grade are working in the (i) Reducing Re-offending Operational Policy and Third Sector Partnership Group and (ii) Stakeholder Relations Group under the auspices of the Director of Commissioning and Operational Policy at the National Offender Management Service;
	(2)  how many  (a) former Probation Service and  (b) former Prison Service staff by grade are working in the (i) Mental Health Unit and (ii) Public Health Group under the auspices of the Director of Offender Health at the National Offender Management Service;
	(3)  how many  (a) former Probation Service and  (b) former Prison Service staff by grade are working in the (i) Offender Assessment and Management Group, (ii) Interventions and Substance Misuse Group, (iii) Commissioning Women's and Young People's Group, (iv) Offender Employment, Skills and Services Group and (v) Operational Policy Unit under the auspices of the Director of Commissioning and Operational Policy at the National Offender Management Service;
	(4)  how many  (a) former Probation Service staff and  (b) former Prison Service staff by grade are working in the (i) Public Protection Unit, (ii) Race Equality Advice and Action Group, (iii) Briefing and Casework Unit, (iv) NOMS Management Board, (v) Parliamentary and Correspondents Briefing Unit and (vi) Internal Communications Unit at the National Offender Management Service;
	(5)  how many  (a) former Probation Service staff and  (b) former Prison Service staff by grade are working in the (i) Children and Young Persons Group, (ii) Women's Health Programme Unit, (iii) Social Care Unit and (iv) Parliamentary Business and Communication Group at the National Offender Management Service;
	(6)  how many former  (a) Probation Service staff and  (b) Prison Service staff of each grade are working in the Budget Support Unit at the National Offender Management Service.

Shahid Malik: Information on the number of former probation and prison staff that are now employed by each directorate, headquarters group and the National Offender Management Service headquarters broken down by grade, is contained in the following tables.
	The information includes a number of staff (792) who are employed in the units specified who were neither former Prison Service or Probation Service staff. These staff were previously employed in the former NOMS HQ.
	The new NOMS HQ was formed from all staff from the National Probation Directorate and Prison Service headquarters, as well as staff from the former NOMS HQ. Inevitably the majority were former Prison Service staff. This is because the Probation Service headquarters was significantly smaller as many staff are employed in probation boards and trusts. What matters is that all employees in NOMS HQ recognise that they are now working for a new agency and whatever their past employment history they are focused on public protection and reducing re-offending through integrated offender management.
	
		
			  National Offend er Management Service headquarters  s taffing: As at 31 December 2008 
			   Prison Service 
			  Directorate  Organisation  Senior civil service  Senior manager  Manager  EO and  e quiv.  AO/AA and equiv.  OSG and officer grades  Others and industrials  Total 
			 Capacity Programme Estates Planning and Development — — 1 — — — — 1 
			  Other Groups/Units 1 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Capacity Programme total  1 1 1 — — — — 3 
			   
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy Offender Assessment and Management Group — 2 — — — — — 2 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — — 
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy total  — 2 — — — — — 2 
			   
			 Director General Briefing and Casework Unit — 1 16 15 5 — — 37 
			  Internal Communications — — 4 6 1 — — 11 
			  Race Equality Action Group 1 5 17 1 2 1 — 27 
			  Other Groups/Units 1 5 7 5 3 — — 21 
			 Director General total  2 11 44 27 11 1 — 96 
			   
			 Finance and Performance Audit and Corporate Assurance 1 6 18 7 10 10 — 52 
			  Commercial and Competitions Unit — — — 1 — — — 1 
			  Financial Control and Accountancy 1 5 21 9 1 — — 37 
			  Information and Communication Technology 1 16 28 13 — — — 58 
			  Phoenix Shared Service Centre 1 30 252 287 340 112 12 1,034 
			  Procurement 1 7 17 8 — — 4 37 
			  Programmes and Project Management Group — — — 1 1 — — 2 
			  Strategy and Effectiveness Group 1 7 20 3 2 6 — 39 
			  Other Groups/Units 2 20 80 61 59 1 42 265 
			 Finance and Performance total  8 91 436 390 413 129 58 1,525 
			   
			 High Security Directorate total  2 23 46 18 25 32 — 146 
			   
			 HR total  7 77 105 28 20 14 — 251 
			   
			 Chief Operating Officer Area Offices, ROMs, DOMs and Area Teams 11 91 214 42 137 79 377 951 
			  Financial Management Unit — 2 2 1 — — — 5 
			  Office of National Commissioning — — 2 — — — — 2 
			  Performance Delivery — 1 1 — — — — 2 
			  Public Protection Unit — — 1 2 — 1 — 4 
			  Other Groups/Units 2 24 53 13 9 16 1 118 
			 Chief Operating Officer total  13 118 273 58 146 96 378 1,082 
			   
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy Commissioning, Women and Young Peoples Group 2 21 38 12 3 10 — 86 
			  Interventions Group and Substance Misuse — 20 59 8 14 2 — 103 
			  Offender Employment Skills and Services Group 1 11 53 8 11 — 1 85 
			  Operational Policy Unit — 2 3 2 — — — 7 
			  Safer Custody and Offender Policy Group 1 5 7 4 5 — — 22 
			  Other Groups/Units 2 9 13 3 8 1 1 37 
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy total  6 68 173 37 41 13 2 340 
			   
			 Offender Health  (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			   
			 Grand total  39 391 1,078 558 656 285 438 3,445 
		
	
	
		
			   Probation 
			  Directorate  Organisation  Senior civil service  Senior manager  Manager  EO and  e quiv.  AO/AA and equiv.  OSG and officer grades  Total  Former NOMS HQ  NOMS HQ total 
			 Capacity Programme Estates Planning and Development — — — — — — — 30 31 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — 87 89 
			 Capacity Programme total  — — — — — — — 117 120 
			
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy Offender Assessment and Management Group — — — — — — — 21 23 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — 3 3 
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy total  — — — — — — — 24 26 
			
			 Director General Briefing and Casework Unit — — — — — — — 1 38 
			  Internal Communications — — — — — — — — 11 
			  Race Equality Action Group — — — — — — — 2 29 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — 7 28 
			 Director General total  — — — — — — — 10 106 
			
			 Finance and Performance Audit and Corporate Assurance — — — — — — — 24 76 
			  Commercial and Competitions Unit — — — — — — — 46 47 
			  Financial Control and Accountancy — — — — — — — 12 49 
			  Information and Communication Technology — — — — — — — 44 102 
			  Phoenix Shared Service Centre — — — — — — — 1 1,035 
			  Procurement — — — — — — — 5 42 
			  Programmes and Project Management Group — — — — — — — — 2 
			  Strategy and Effectiveness Group — — — — — — — 1 40 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — 57 322 
			 Finance and Performance total  — — — — — — — 190 1,715 
			
			 High Security Directorate total  — — — — — — — 2 148 
			
			 HR total  1 6 7 3 1 — 18 14 283 
			
			 Chief Operating Officer Area Offices, ROMs, DOMs and Area Teams 6 25 18 18 11 5 83 1 1,035 
			  Financial Management Unit — — — — — — — — — 
			  Office of National Commissioning — — — — — — — 70 72 
			  Performance Delivery — — — — — — — — 2 
			  Public Protection Unit — — — — — — — 177 181 
			  Other Groups/Units 1 6 2 3 — — 12 132 262 
			 Chief Operating Officer total  7 31 20 21 11 5 95 380 1,557 
			
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy Commissioning Women and Young Peoples Group — — — — — — — 7 93 
			  Interventions Group and Substance Misuse — — — — — — — 31 134 
			  Offender Employment Skills and Services Group — — — — — — — 6 91 
			  Operational Policy Unit — — — — — — — 3 10 
			  Safer Custody and Offender Policy Group — — — — — — — 3 25 
			  Other Groups/Units — — — — — — — 5 42 
			 Commissioning and Operational Policy total  — — — — — — — 55 395 
			
			 Offender Health  (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			
			 Grand total  8 37 27 24 112 5 113 792 4,350 
			 (1) These staff are employed by the Department of Health and are therefore not included in NOMS HQ figures. They are not former Prison Service or Probation Service staff.  Notes: 1. Reducing Re-offending Operational Policy and Third Sector Partnership Group, Stakeholder Relations Group; NOMS Management Board and Parliamentary and Correspondents Briefing Unit are not recorded separately on the database. These staff are included within the Other Groups totals in the table. 2. Staff have been allocated as either Prison Service, Probation Service or former NOMS HQ based on their unit immediately prior to the creation of the new NOMS HQ No account is taken of experience before that, either in the Prison Service or Probation Service.

Prisoners Release

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the pilot on the use of FP10 prescriptions for those leaving prison will be assessed; and when the Prison Service plans to introduce the use of FP10 prescriptions for those leaving prison on a prescription.

David Hanson: The initial pathfinder sites for the use of FP10 prescriptions for prisoners leaving custody have been under continual review. Regional offender health teams have earlier this month been asked to nominate a further 12 sites to build experience in each region prior to national roll-out.

Prisoners: Women

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many female prisoners gave birth whilst in prison and subsequently  (a) requested and  (b) requested and were refused a place in a mother and baby unit in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The numbers of prisoners who have given birth while serving their custodial sentence since April 2005, when the Prison Service began collecting figures centrally, are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2008-December 2008 75 
			 April 2007-March 2008 102 
			 April 2006-March 2007 99 
			 April 2005-March 2006 106 
		
	
	From June 2007 (the earliest date for which information is currently available) until March 2008, 221 applications were made for places in a mother and baby unit, and 10 of these applications were refused; and from April 2008 until December 2008, 178 such applications were made and 14 were refused. There is no available breakdown of these figures to show whether the baby in each case was born before or after the mother was received into prison. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Women

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many female prisoners  (a) applied for and  (b) were refused a place in a mother and baby unit for a baby born before they were received into prison in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: While the National Offender Management Service keeps figures for the number of female prisoners who  (a) applied for and  (b) were refused a place in a mother and baby unit, there is no available breakdown of those figures to show whether the baby in each case was born before or after the mother was received into prison. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms the Prison Service has in place to ensure continuity of care for people on a methadone or other opiate substitution prescription leaving prison.

David Hanson: Continuity of methadone or other opioid substitute treatments is initiated by prison-based healthcare professionals either directly with community colleagues or via the Drug Interventions Programme team. The Drug Interventions Programme includes access to rapid prescribing to avoid breaks in treatment.

Prisons: Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many adult  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners there are detained in prisons in Wales.

David Hanson: At 30 November 2008, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 2,259 adult male prisoners who were detained in prison establishments in Wales (Cardiff, Parc, Swansea and Usk/Prescoed). The figure provided excludes young adults aged 18 to 20 and those 21-year-olds who were aged 20 or under at conviction who have not been reclassified as part of the adult prison population.
	There are currently no female prison establishments in Wales.
	These figures are a reworking to allow for the request for adults only of those published in Table 4 of the publication 'Population in custody monthly tables November 2008 England and Wales', and can be found at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	This is updated monthly.
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many places for adult  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners there are in prisons in Wales.

David Hanson: There are 2,392 places for adult male prisoners in Wales and there are currently no places for adult female prisoners in Wales.
	The Ministry of Justice has been actively seeking potential sites for new prisons in Wales and a shortlist of four possible sites has been drawn up. An announcement regarding the final decision on the location of the new prison is expected shortly

Probation Service: Voluntary Work

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has made an assessment for benchmarking purposes of the Japanese system of recruitment of volunteer probation officers; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: No formal assessment of the Japanese system of recruitment of volunteer probation officers has been conducted. It is not the intention of the Government to adopt it.
	Probation officers in England and Wales are required by law to be fully qualified to undertake the role of a probation officer. Currently this means that they undertake a two year training programme and work towards a Degree in Probation Studies.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to increase awareness of the public and the judiciary of offender programmes in the community and prison which have the effect of reducing reoffending.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service will continue to provide information and advice to stakeholders including the police and judiciary about offender programmes. There is regular liaison between senior members of the judiciary and of the Ministry of Justice, including through the "National Sentencer Probation Forum", which promotes communication between sentencers and offender managers and at which there is an open exchange of knowledge, views and experience of what is effective and practical in helping to reduce crime. Work is also undertaken at a local level where liaison can prove particularly effective.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of reductions in reoffending that have been achieved by offender behaviour programmes among those in  (a) the community and  (b) custody.

David Hanson: Reoffending is measured as a rate rather than in terms of numbers of offences or offenders. Frequency of reoffending per 100 offenders is now the main measure of reoffending.
	 (a) There are positive indications that offender behaviour programmes may be effective in reducing reoffending for offenders in the community. For example, Offender Management and Sentencing Analytical Services (OMSAS) conducted an analysis on accredited programmes in the community (Hollis, 2007). It compared actual reoffending rates in 2006 with rates predicted on the basis of 2004 data. The reoffending rate for all offenders who had undertaken interventions was 55 per cent., based on a two-year reconviction rate. Programme completers did statistically significantly better than those who did not start or who dropped-out of programmes. The rates were 38 per cent., 61 per cent. and 64 per cent. respectively. This analysis of management information, however, cannot determine whether these differences result from programme impact.
	 (b) There is considerable international evidence (Wilson et al. 2005; Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2006) to support the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural programmes in reducing reoffending. However, UK research examining the effectiveness of programmes in prisons has produced mixed results (Friendship et al. 2002; Falshaw et al. 2003; Cann et al. 2003).
	A recent prison-based study showed that the one-year reconviction rate for both adult men and young offenders who had completed enhanced thinking skills (ETS) and reasoning and rehabilitation (R+R) interventions in prison represented a positive 2.5 percentage points difference in reconviction for adult male completers (17.0 per cent. vs. 19.5 per cent.) and a 4.1 percentage point difference for young offender completers (31.4 per cent. vs. 35.5 per cent.) compared to matched comparison groups. There was no difference in reconviction rates between programme starters and comparison groups. See tables 3 and 4:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r226.pdf
	A study of female participants of ETS and R&R (Cann, 2006) found no statistically significant differences in one and two-year rates between offenders and a matched comparison group. See:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/r276.pdf.
	The most robust evaluation of the Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) in England and Wales (Friendship et al, 2003) examined the impact of the prison-based programme. This compared two-year reconviction rates for prisoners who participated in the programme with those who did not. Findings indicated that the SOTP had an impact on reconvictions for sexual and/or violent offences (as a combined measure).
	OMS Analytical Services and NOMS are working closely with the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel (CSAP) to develop further outcome evaluation study proposals.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of reductions in reoffending that have been achieved by the drug programme among those in  (a) the community and  (b) custody.

David Hanson: Recent international reviews analysing large numbers of evaluations of drug treatment programmes have concluded that, on average, drug treatment programmes reduce reoffending(1).
	 (a) For offences committed on or after 4 April 2005, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 introduced the community order which replaced all previous community sentences, including community rehabilitation orders (CROs) and drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs), for adult offenders. Under the Act, the court may impose a community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement (DRR). No robust assessment has been made to date of DRRs' effect on reducing reoffending, however research(2) concluded that DTTOs can reduce spending on drugs and reoffending, although it was not possible to determine to what extent these changes were due to the DTTO or whether other factors also contributed.
	 (b) The evaluations to date of drug treatment programmes in prisons in the UK is limited, but suggest that these programmes can reduce reoffending(3).
	Prisoners who completed the 12-step RAPt programme had statistically significantly lower rates of reconviction after two years than a comparison group (40 per cent. versus 50 per cent.)—although there may be selection bias(4) here.
	(1 )Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2006). Evidence-Based Adult Corrections Programs: What Works and What Does Not.—Washington State Institute for Public Policy. (Available online at: www.wsipp.wa.gov)
	Holloway, K., Bennett, T. and Farrington, D. (2005). The effectiveness of criminal justice and treatment programmes in reducing drug-related crime: a systematic review. Home Office Online Report 26/05. London: Home Office.
	(2) Hough. M., Clancy, A., McSweeney, T. and Turnbull, P. (2003). The impact of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders on Offending: two year reconviction results. Home Office Research Findings 184. London: Home Office.
	Turnbull, P., McSweeney, T., Webster, R., Edmunds., M. and Hough, M. (2000) Drug treatment and testing orders—Final Evaluation Report. Home Office Research Study 212. London: Home Office
	(3 )Ramsay, M. (ed) (2003). Prisoners' Drug Use and Treatment: Seven Research Studies. Home Office Research Study 267. London: Home Office.
	Martin, C. and Player, E. (2000). Drug Treatment in Prison: An Evaluation of the RAPt Treatment Programme. Winchester: Waterside Press.
	(4 )Selection bias is a distortion of evidence or data that arise from the way that the data are collected.

Sentencing

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of the  (a) sentence handed down to and  (b) period served in custody prior to being released on home detention curfew was by each prisoner sentenced for (i) murder, (ii) manslaughter, (iii) violence, broken down by specific offence, (iv) sexual offences, (v) robbery, (vi) burglary, (vii) theft and handling, (viii) fraud and forgery and (vix) drugs offences was in each year since 1999.

David Hanson: The following tables show the average determinate sentence length for custodial sentences given in each year from 1999 to 2007 by offence group. These figures exclude those serving indeterminate sentences (which includes all those sentenced for murder). Prisoners serving indeterminate sentences are not eligible for HDC.
	Details on the period served in custody prior to release on home detention curfew (HDC) could be provided only by examining individual prisoner records at disproportionate cost. However information is available on the number of prisoners released on HDC in each year from 1999 to 2007 by offence group, as shown in the following tables. These figures can be found in Prison Statistics England and Wales, 1999 to 2002 and Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003 to 2007, copies of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, and also on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The most serious violent offenders and all sexual offenders are either statutorily excluded or are presumed unsuitable for release on HDC.
	85 per cent. of those released have completed their period of HDC successfully. Only 4 per cent. of the total number of offenders released onto HDC over the entirety of the scheme has re-offended while on HDC.
	
		
			  Home Detention Curfew release by offence group( 1) , 1999  to  200 7 , England and Wales 
			   1999  2000  2001 
			   Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%) 
			 Total 49,596 14,939 30 55,344 15,533 28 54,064 13,677 25 
			   
			 Violence 6,788 2,577 38 7,875 2,990 38 8,121 2,854 35 
			 Sexual offences 1,120 24 2 1,326 29 2 1,197 17 1 
			 Robbery 1,740 598 34 2,057 689 33 2,146 631 29 
			 Burglary 7,940 1,444 18 9,114 1,387 15 8,415 1,072 13 
			 Theft and handling 9,335 2,004 21 11,623 2,009 17 11,293 1,771 16 
			 Fraud and forgery 2,109 1,291 61 2,055 1,264 62 2,136 1,149 54 
			 Drug offences 4,271 2,409 56 4,483 2,448 55 4,249 2,219 52 
			 Motoring offences 7,851 1,919 24 9,070 1,748 19 9,512 1,500 16 
			 Other(2) 8,442 2,673 32 7,741 2,969 38 6,995 2,464 35 
		
	
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004 
			   Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%) 
			 Total 55,370 20,525 37 57,551 21,223 37 55,810 19,294 35 
			   
			 Violence 8,235 3,693 45 8,740 3,564 41 9,079 3,160 35 
			 Sexual offences 1,193 20 2 1,238 8 1 1,160 6 1 
			 Robbery 2,376 916 39 2,877 1,257 44 2,517 959 38 
			 Burglary 8,577 2,022 24 8,310 2,066 25 7,044 1,672 24 
			 Theft and handling 11,524 2,797 24 11,067 2,817 25 9,804 2,628 27 
			 Fraud and forgery 2,159 1,262 59 2,210 1,133 51 2,468 1,225 50 
			 Drug offences 4,323 2,683 62 4,397 2,782 63 3,989 2,422 61 
			 Motoring offences 9,817 3,801 39 7,680 4,158 54 9,814 3,874 39 
			 Other(2) 7,166 3,331 47 11,032 3,438 31 9,936 3,348 34 
		
	
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%)  Population in sentence length band  Released  Release rate (%) 
			 Total 54,616 17,296 32 52,987 13,666 26 53,835 11,428 21 
			   
			 Violence 10,064 3,204 32 9,840 2,490 25 10,397 2,118 20 
			 Sexual offences 1,236 2 0 1,203 0 0 1,180 0 0 
			 Robbery 2,451 901 37 2,284 709 31 2,520 694 28 
			 Burglary 6,334 1,298 20 6,168 1,069 17 6,347 945 15 
			 Theft and handling 8,846 2,107 24 8,679 1,705 20 8,227 1,380 17 
			 Fraud and forgery 2,833 1,287 45 3,243 1,169 36 3,196 917 29 
			 Drug offences 4,338 2,509 58 4,296 2,347 55 4,381 2,106 48 
			 Motoring offences 8,517 3,046 36 6,984 1,923 28 5,569 1,290 23 
			 Other(2) 9,997 2,942 29 10,290 2,254 22 12,018 1,978 16 
			 (1) Offence recorded on prison IT system. Investigations suggest that around 5 per cent. of offence types recorded on this system do not relate to the offence they were released on HDC for but relate to offences committed after release from prison and before the licence expiry date for their sentence. (2) Includes the offence of bigamy. 
		
	
	
		
			  Average length of immediate custodial sentence( 1)  at all courts by offence group, 1997 to 2007 
			  Months 
			Violence against the person( 2)  Sexual offences  Burglary  Robbery  Theft and handling stolen goods  Fraud and forgery  Criminal damage  Drug offences  Manslaughter 
			 All ages 1999 15.0 37.5 15.7 35.7 4.5 8.5 15.5 28.7 59.0 
			  2000 15.0 38.7 15.9 36.1 4.2 8.7 14.9 30.1 59.0 
			  2001 15.9 37.7 16.6 35.4 4.2 8.6 15.9 32.5 58.4 
			  2002 16.6 39.6 17.5 38.9 4.1 8.4 16.4 34.5 66.2 
			  2003 18.0 40.0 17.1 39.3 4.2 8.7 16.5 35.2 62.8 
			  2004 17.9 39.9 17.5 38.4 4.3 9.2 16.7 37.3 65.0 
			  2005 17.1 41.5 17.4 35.0 4.3 10.3 15.1 35.8 55.8 
			  2006 16.1 41.0 17.1 32.3 4.3 10.9 12.9 33.8 66.4 
			  2007 16.2 42.9 16.7 31.3 4.1 10.0 12.6 31.9 61.6 
			
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) Excluding manslaughter.

Young Offender Institutions

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the consequences of the absence of lock-out times in the juvenile estate, with particular reference to its effect on the number of late arrivals at young offender institutions.

David Hanson: "Latest Reception" and "Reception Closing" times are locally agreed by all Prison Governors and Area Managers—including those in the juvenile estate—and communicated to escort contractors. Contractors incur performance measures for failing to deliver prisoners before receptions close. These performance measures can translate into financial payments if contractors are unable to demonstrate that the reasons for the failure are outside their control. Generally, the minority of young people who arrive later than the agreed time are nonetheless admitted to the establishment because of the emphasis placed on the primary need to safeguard vulnerable young people.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Brazil: Overseas Investment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of direct foreign investment by UK companies in Brazil has been for each year since 2001.

Gareth Thomas: The Office for National Statistics estimates of net UK foreign direct investment flows to Brazil are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001 352 
			 2002 17 
			 2003 786 
			 2004 386 
			 2005 48 
			 2006 354 
			 2007 721 
		
	
	The ONS estimated that the book value of net UK direct investment in Brazil was worth about £3,789 million at the end of 2007.
	 Sources
	ONS foreign direct investment First Release and MA4.

Brazil: Overseas Trade

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of goods  (a) exported to and  (b) imported from Brazil has been in each year since 2001.

Gareth Thomas: The data requested are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK exports of goods to Brazil  UK imports of goods from Brazil 
			 2001 808 1,279 
			 2002 880 1,365 
			 2003 825 1,477 
			 2004 789 1,545 
			 2005 836 1,740 
			 2006 918 1,905 
			 2007 1,100 2,059 
			  Source: UK Balance of Payments Pink Book, 2008 edition

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of EU institutions on the introduction of targets relating to the provisions of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: BERR officials have had informal discussions with European Commission officials regarding the proposed amendments to the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive. It is anticipated that the Commission's Working Group negotiations will begin during the Swedish presidency in the second half of 2009. We will be consulting with UK stakeholders in the near future on the range of proposals being presented.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will review the Government's manufacturing strategy to increase support to manufacturing industry in light of the current financial situation; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government launched their new Manufacturing Strategy in September last year. It focuses on what the sector needs for success in the long-term—including seizing the opportunities of the low carbon economy, supporting skills, realising overseas opportunities, and improving the perception and understanding of manufacturing.
	It builds on existing areas of support such as R and D tax credits, the Technology Programme, and the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). MAS is monitoring the situation for small manufacturing companies and responding flexibly with suitable advice to help companies. We are also piloting increased support for MAS in the west midlands.
	The Government are also taking steps to help businesses through the current economic downturn to boost capital and liquidity in the market. Key measures include the reduction in VAT, the introduction of a new Enterprise Finance Guarantee to support up to £1.3 billion of bank lending, a separate £10 billion guarantee facility to support further working capital bank lending, a £75 million Capital for Enterprise Fund to convert businesses' debt into equity, and £25 million of regional funds.
	In the longer term, we are ensuring that the policies within the Manufacturing Strategy work to bolster UK manufacturing and deliver the foundations of 21(st) Century success such as world-leading R and D and a highly skilled work force.

New Businesses

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many newly incorporated  (a) hotels,  (b) restaurants,  (c) bars and  (d) bed and breakfast establishments were registered with Companies House in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: The number of hotels, restaurants and bars incorporated each year since 2003 is shown in the following table. The figures are based on the Standard Industrial Classification code shown on the annual return. No figures are available for companies incorporated in 2008, as they have not yet filed their first annual return. There is no SIC code for bed and breakfast establishments.
	
		
			   Hotels  Restaurants  Bars 
			 2003 1,067 4,331 2,514 
			 2004 775 3,471 1,823 
			 2005 696 3,644 1,804 
			 2006 1,042 3,670 1,938 
			 2007 821 2,922 1,415

Overseas Trade

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the monetary value of trade between the UK and  (a) India, ( b) China,  (c) Russia,  (d) Brazil,  (e) EU member states and  (f) the USA was in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: The data requested are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK exports of goods and services to: 
			   India  China  Russia  Brazil  EU27  USA 
			 1998 1,730 1,163 1,373 1,326 * 36,789 
			 1999 1,971 1,667 829 1,117 132,320 41,929 
			 2000 2,611 1,917 1,083 1,125 146,177 48,550 
			 2001 2,447 2,300 1,363 1,200 151,256 48,455 
			 2002 2,390 2,217 1,562 1,201 153,043 50,887 
			 2003 3,006 2,813 2,153 1,160 153,157 52,649 
			 2004 3,234 3,645 2,368 1,101 157,687 54,379 
			 2005 3,959 4,203 2,992 1,208 171,227 55,445 
			 2006 4,314 4,675 3,718 1,402 206,185 60,899 
			 2007 4,647 5,224 4,960 1,538 187,114 64,195 
		
	
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK imports of goods and services from: 
			   India  China  Russia  Brazil  EU27  USA 
			 1998 1,936 3,035 1,588 1,023 (1)— 36,372 
			 1999 2,099 3,650 1,461 1,066 142,132 37,113 
			 2000 2,315 5,118 1,684 1,288 153,000 41,621 
			 2001 2,633 6,116 2,265 1,510 164,659 42,848 
			 2002 2,620 7,222 2,246 1,616 176,646 38,552 
			 2003 2,911 8,805 2,757 1,653 180,418 37,719 
			 2004 3,387 10,946 4,006 1,762 188,040 37,430 
			 2005 4,100 13,658 5,558 2,002 208,586 38,515 
			 2006 4,730 16,048 6,466 2,168 236,327 42,313 
			 2007 5,604 19,682 6,107 2,341 223,976 44,243 
			 (1 )For technical reasons associated with European Union enlargement, consistent figures for UK trade with the EU27 are not published for 1998. Some of the data were affected by transactions associated with missing trader VAT fraud, notably with the EU in the first half of 2006.  Source: UK Balance of Payments Pink Book, 2008 edition, Table 9.2

Wines

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures his Department is taking to promote the production and commercial sale of English wines.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The area of vines planted in England is increasing in response to market demand. However, this increase is not yet being reflected in a substantial increase in English wine production due to the time lag for newly planted vines to become productive, and also because the wet weather of the past two summers has resulted in a lower production from existing vines.
	In the recent reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) regime for wine, the UK successfully negotiated a derogation that will allow the English wine sector to continue to expand without the threat of our plantings being capped by the controls that exist in the main EU wine production countries. This outcome was warmly welcomed by the English wine industry. The reform also provides for the UK to establish a national programme to assist the development of our domestic wine industry. After consulting with the industry, further funding is being provided through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to establish training programmes to help upskill this rapidly developing sector. The English wine industry is also able to access funds from the RDPE for a range of other activities and a number of applications have already been approved.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Lighting

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely effect on UK carbon dioxide emissions of replacing all UK household lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lamps.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA's Market Transformation Programme estimates that by using only compact florescent lamps (CFLs) UK homes could yield annual savings in the order of just under 3 MtCO2, some 2 per cent. of the total CO2 emissions from UK households in 2006.
	European member states agreed on 8 December 2008 a draft measure under the Eco-design of the Energy-using Products Directive to set mandatory efficiency requirements on light bulbs that will result in a phase out of incandescent lamps by September 2012 and removal of the least-efficient halogen lamps by 2016. After this date, only the most efficient halogen lamps, CFLs and lamps based on emerging light emitting diode technologies will remain.
	The European Commission is developing a further measure to set efficiency requirements on directional spot lamps commonly used in UK homes.

Departmental Catering

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which  (a) food and  (b) drinks companies have supplied his Department since its inception; and how much was paid to each of those suppliers.

Mike O'Brien: DECC staff in 3-8 Whitehall Place, Atholl House and temporary accommodation in 1 Victoria street and Ergon House at present make use of the BERR and DEFRA catering services in these premises, the arrangements for which will be covered in BERR's and DEFRA's answers to this question.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department provides for staff.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was formed on 3 October 2008. Catering arrangements for DECC premises have not yet been determined. DECC staff in 3-8 Whitehall Place, Atholl House and temporary accommodation in 1 Victoria street and Ergon House at present make use of the BERR and DEFRA catering services in those premises.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers has been since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 870W.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not made any expenditure on staff reward and recognition schemes since its inception on 3 October 2008.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many bonuses have been awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department in each year since its inception; and what was spent on such bonuses.

Mike O'Brien: No bonuses have been awarded to senior civil servants working at the Department of Energy and Climate change since the Department's inception on 3 October 2008.

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department's central media and communication unit has spent on public surveys since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Energy

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the merits of a joint initiative undertaken by Kettering Borough Council and E.ON to reduce domestic energy consumption and the potential for a national scheme.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 22 January 2009
	 I welcome the initiative by Kettering borough council and E.ON, which involves trialling smart meters with the aim of reducing energy consumption.
	The Government have made clear that they support the provision of smart meters as a means not only of reducing energy consumption but also of providing benefits to consumers and energy markets. We therefore announced on 28 October 2008 an intention to mandate the provision of smart meters to all households.

Energy Supply: EU Action

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on the liberalisation of the energy market in the European Union.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend attended the Energy Council in Brussels on 10 October which agreed a Common Position on the texts of the legislation proposed in the Commission's third liberalisation package. The package is currently undergoing a Second Reading, with discussions taking place within the Council at official level. The third package is expected to be adopted by the middle of the year.

Heating: Housing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will estimate the percentage of fuel above that required to heat a house in Bristol which is required to heat identical houses in  (a) Edinburgh,  (b) Glasgow,  (c) Aberdeen,  (d) Dundee,  (e) Lerwick,  (f) Braemar and  (g) Stornoway; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much fuel above that required to heat a typical semi-detached house in Bristol with  (a) gas central heating and  (b) non-white meter electronic heating it takes to heat a similar house in (i) Braemar, (ii) Lerwick, (iii) Aberdeen, (iv) Edinburgh, (v) Dundee, (vi) Glasgow and (vii) Stornoway, using the data contained in the climatic severity index.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 15 January 2009
	No data are available at the required level of detail but the BREDEM model (which estimates domestic energy consumption and is produced by the Building Research Establishment) provides a more general comparison.
	According to this model, it requires around 25 per cent. more fuel to heat a house to equivalent internal temperature in Eastern Scotland, compared with an identical home in the Severn region.

Housing: Insulation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding is available to people between the ages of 60 and 70 years to help them insulate their homes; for what reasons 70 is the age at which people can claim the maximum level of such funding; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Warm Front is the Government's main scheme for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector in England for vulnerable householders. It is administered and managed by Eaga plc. on behalf of the Government. The scheme provides grants for specified heating and insulation measures up to £2,700 in value (£4,000 where the work includes installation of an oil fired central heating system). Pensioners in receipt of qualifying benefits (such as pension credit) are eligible to full assistance under the scheme.
	Under the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT), energy suppliers are required to offer substantial discounts for key insulation measures, such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. Subject to survey of a property, suppliers are currently offering all households without insulation at least 50 per cent. discount from the Energy Saving Trust guide price for insulation measures.
	For reasons of equity, we oblige suppliers to meet 40 per cent. of their CERT in a priority group of vulnerable and low-income households. This means anyone over 70 years, or those in receipt of qualifying benefits (e.g. income, pension benefit) including those over 60 years. To meet their targets, suppliers currently offer priority groups such measures at little or no cost, subject to survey. People over 70 years are statistically shown to be increasingly at risk of falling into fuel poverty, and are therefore included in the priority group definition.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government has spent on legal fees relating to claims made by miners with osteoarthritis of the knee caused by their work in mines in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The Department's legal fees in respect of claims made by miners for osteoarthritis of the knee are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2004 157,866 
			 2005 388,735 
			 2006 1,111,367 
			 2007 1,009,225 
			 2008(1) 1,407,676 
			 Total 4,074,871 
			 (1) Figures are up to November 2008.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letters of 14 October 2008 and 28 November 2008 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of his constituent, Mrs. Marion Woore.

Joan Ruddock: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 January 2009 and apologised for the delay.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average number of days of gas supply in storage in December of each year since 2005.

Mike O'Brien: The amount of gas supply in storage at a given point in time cannot meaningfully be assessed in terms of days as stored gas is not used on its own to meet GB demand.
	The following table summarises the average stock level of gas in GB storage sites in December of each year since 2005.
	
		
			   Average December stock level (Billion cubic metres) 
			 2005 3.3 
			 2006 3.9 
			 2007 3.5 
			 2008 3.5 
			  Source: National Grid.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many days of gas supply were added to gas stocks by gas storage projects which became operational in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2007; and how many days of gas supply he expects to be added to gas stocks by gas storage projects planned for 2009.

Mike O'Brien: The amount of gas supply in storage at a given point in time cannot meaningfully be assessed in terms of days as stored gas is not used on its own to meet UK demand.
	13 mcm (million cubic metres) of capacity were added as part of an expansion to the Hole House Farm facility in 2007. No new storage facilities became operational in 2007 and 2008.
	In 2009, the first stages of the Aldbrough facility are expected to become operational. The total new capacity at the site is expected to be 370 mcm.

Renewable Energy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much electricity has been generated from renewable sources in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Electricity generation from renewable sources in each of the last 10 years is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Electricity generation (GWh) 
			 1998 8,648 
			 1999 9,616 
			 2000 9,914 
			 2001 9,549 
			 2002 11,127 
			 2003 10,600 
			 2004 14,147 
			 2005 16,940 
			 2006 18,116 
			 2007 19,664 
			  Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2008, Table 7.4 
		
	
	In the first four years of this period, before the Renewables Obligation was introduced in 2002, growth was at an average annual rate of 6.5 per cent. Over the next five years the average annual rate of growth was almost double this at 12.1 per cent.

Renewable Energy: Domestic Waste

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the potential contribution of energy generation from domestic waste towards meeting the UK's renewable energy targets.

Mike O'Brien: In its consultation on a renewable energy strategy, published in June 2008, the Government reported that an estimated 9 million tonnes of waste food, and 6 million tonnes of waste wood, were landfilled each year, with a combined energy value of 42 TWh. Very approximately half of the food waste and one fifth of the wood are thought to come from household sources.

Renewables Obligation: Plastics

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the full inclusion of plastics in the Renewable Obligations Certificate system.

Mike O'Brien: There is no record of any such representations.

Warm Front Scheme

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of the rebate for contractors participating in the Warm Front Scheme is withheld for administration costs.

Joan Ruddock: The rebate scheme, which began in 2006, provides pensioners who do not qualify for assistance under the Warm Front Scheme with a £300 voucher which may be used for heating work. All installers must be registered with Eaga plc., who administer the scheme on DECC's behalf.
	Each voucher comprises a £50 administrative charge which will be deducted from the payment made to the installer when they submit a voucher for payment.

Wylfa Power Station

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects Wylfa nuclear power station to cease to generate electricity.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 21 January 2009
	 The current closure date for generation at Wylfa is April 2010. However, I am advised by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority that there are improving prospects of running the nuclear power station beyond its scheduled closure date. The NDA's current planning assumption is that the plant will be able to generate until December 2010 and they expect shortly to seek the appropriate regulatory approval to extend generation to this date. I am further advised that there may be opportunities to extend generation beyond this date and that the options are being studied closely to ensure that this opportunity is maintained.

HEALTH

AIDS: Screening

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce an oral swab for diagnosing acquired immune deficiency syndrome to effect rapid diagnosis.

Dawn Primarolo: Testing for HIV antibodies using oral swabs is available in England as a point of care test, used in particular outside health care settings. Results are not as reliable as tests using blood, and any individual testing positive using an oral swab test would be referred for confirmatory testing in a genito-urinary medicine clinic.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average recorded ambulance response time for  (a) the town of Bridlington and  (b) England was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on average ambulance response times is not collected centrally. Data on performance against ambulance response time targets at ambulance trust level are published annually by the Information Centre in the statistical bulletin Ambulance Services England. The latest bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England 2007-08", has already been placed in the Library and is available at the following link:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-andperformance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2007-08

Aphasia

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with aphasia in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate of the number of people with aphasia.

Asthma

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the incidence of  (a) asthma and  (b) asthma in children; and if he will publish details of the incidence of asthma by parliamentary constituency;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on the incidence of asthma at  (a) council ward level,  (b) polling district and  (c) other level of disaggregation; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information on the incidence of asthma is not collected centrally.

Back Pain: Medical Treatments

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that manual therapies recommended in draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for the treatment of lower back pain are available on the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not yet published its final clinical guideline on the acute management of patients with chronic (longer than six weeks) non-specific low back pain. In the absence of NICE guidance, we expect local national health service organisations to decide which treatments they will fund based on the available evidence.

Cancer: Alcoholic Drinks

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the national communication campaign to improve the public's understanding of units of alcohol in relation to cancer risk factors; and how much longer he expects the campaign to continue.

Dawn Primarolo: The national communications campaign to improve the public's understanding of units of alcohol, launched in May 2008, featured two phases. The campaign messages were delivered across television, press, outdoor, radio and online channels. Phase 1 focused on improving people's knowledge of how many units of alcohol are in the alcoholic drinks they consume, while phase 2 focused on improving people's understanding of the link between their alcohol consumption and their health.
	Initial assessment of the campaign shows that there is an increased agreement, from 77 to 82 per cent. that we tend to drink more than is good for us. This has clearly been influenced by the campaign as for those aware of the campaign, this figure rises to 85 per cent., while for those not aware of the campaign, this figure is 72 per cent.
	The second wave of campaign tracking will be available shortly and may provide more information on how the campaign has improved the public's understanding of alcohol-related health risks.
	We intend that this campaign should be sustained over a number of years. The units campaign will continue in 2009-10, with the key tasks to optimise the units messaging and to communicate the health harms associated with drinking to higher risk groups.

Care Quality Commission: Public Consultation

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many copies of the consultation document have been downloaded from the website of the Care Quality Commission since its consultation on proposals for reviews in 2009-10 was launched.

Ben Bradshaw: The chair of the Care Quality Commission has informed us that the software supporting the operation of the commission's interim website does not support the monitoring of the number of downloads. It is therefore not possible to provide this information at present. The commission is exploring a wide range of mechanisms including the website to provide these data for 2009-10.

Dementia

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in each year from 2000 to 2008.

Phil Hope: The National Audit Office report "Improving services and support for people with dementia" estimated that approximately two thirds of people with dementia do not receive a formal diagnosis or have contact with specialist services at any time in their illness.
	The Department does not have data on the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in each year from 2000 to 2008. However, for 2006-07 and 2007-08 the General Practitioner Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) has recorded the number of people with a diagnosis of dementia but this does not distinguish between Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
	The publication "Revisions to the GMS Contract 2006-07", produced by NHS Employers, states that Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50-75 per cent. of cases of dementia so the count of patients with dementia gives an indication of the number with Alzheimer's disease.
	In 2006-07, there were 212,794 and in 2007-08, there were 220,246 people with a diagnosis of dementia, as recorded on practice disease registers in England.

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions in the last 12 months each of his Department's Ministers visited  (a) an NHS dentist,  (b) a private dentist and  (c) an optometrist as part of their official duties.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of their official duties, departmental Ministers visit a wide variety of health centres and practices meeting a number of dental and optical professionals. The following visits occurred during the period January-December 2008.
	Visits by each Minister to dental practices or centres in the last 12 months are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Minister   Visit  Date 
			 Alan Johnson NHS Deeplish NHS LIFT Health Centre 20 September 2008 
			  NHS Goyt Valley Medical and Dental Practice (NHS), Whaley Bridge 10 October 2008 
			 
			 Ben Bradshaw NHS Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry 7 March 2008 
			  NHS Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich LIFTco 7 July 2008 
			  NHS Old Market Dental Practice Newton, Dorset 19 June 2008 
			 
			 Phil Hope NHS Bristol Dental Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust 20 October 2008 
			 
			 Ann Keen NHS University of Central Lancashire Dental Education Centre, Morecambe 21 August 2008 
			  Opticians Opticians practice (Brentford) as part of event to raise awareness of importance of eye tests 5 July 2008 
			 
			 Dawn Primarolo — — — 
			 
			 Lord Darzi — — — 
			  Note: NHS contract holders often provide both private and NHS dental care.

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have received dental treatment under the NHS in each primary care trust in England in each of the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Information is available on the number of child patients seen by a national health service dentist in the previous 24 months in England is available in table D7 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2008-09 report. Information is provided by primary care trust and strategic health authority. Information is available as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 June 2008.
	This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q1

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were per head of population in  (a) England and  (b) each region in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The number of persons per national health service dentist in England as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in annex F of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006" report. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT).
	This measure relates to the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Information on population per NHS dentist and NHS dentists per 100,000 population, during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 is available in table G1 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08" report. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	The count of dentists is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. The revised methodology counts the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.

Dental Services

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population was treated by a dentist under the NHS in each primary care trust area in each strategic health authority in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Ann Keen: Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with a national health service dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The number of patients seen in the previous 24 months in England, as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 June 2008 is available in Table D3 of Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2008-09" report. Information is provided by primary care trust and strategic health authority.
	This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q1.

Dentistry: Education

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students  (a) started and  (b) graduated from dentistry courses in England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information for 'home fee' students is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Admissions  Dental graduates 
			 1996-97 685 504 
			 1997-98 631 542 
			 1998-99 603 563 
			 1999-2000 600 554 
			 2000-01 623 591 
			 2001-02 626 566 
			 2002-03 665 524 
			 2003-04 672 548 
			 2004-05 674 565 
			 2005-06 848 560 
			 2006-07 854 593 
			 2007-08 888 656

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of staff in his Department have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to his Department in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: In the past two years, no member of the Department's staff has been investigated, suspended or dismissed for losing departmental information technology equipment or confidential information.
	Prior to April 2006, the human resources records of the Department were not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to establish the information requested. Policy and procedures on security are constantly reviewed. Data held on the Department's laptops and portable media devices, including memory sticks are encrypted to minimise the risk of confidential data being compromised should the devices be lost or stolen.
	The Department has strict rules on data protection and security of its assets which the Department is expected to adhere to. Its policy and procedures are constantly reviewed and cases of losses or thefts are investigated. All mobile equipment reported as lost or stolen is registered on the police mobile equipment national database to aid recovery.
	Security cables have been purchased and supplied to mobile workers to secure valuable portable assets to furniture where practicable to reduce risks. The Department marks its portable equipment with an invisible forensic dye called Smartwater. The Department's security and assurance unit continues to raise security awareness and physical protection of IT equipment among its staff.
	Mobile phones and Blackberrys are deactivated centrally if reported lost or stolen.
	Disciplinary action where staff are in breach of the Department's rules for data protection and security of its assets (including negligent loss of equipment) are as follows:
	Written reprimand;
	Dismissal without notice;
	Dismissal with notice;
	Disciplinary transfer;
	Withdrawal or withholding performance-related pay;
	Levying of financial penalty;
	Ban on applying for posts; and
	Demotion.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that temporary and permanent employees of his Department employed at the same grade receive the same hourly rate of pay.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not employ any permanent staff paid at an hourly rate. Since July 2008 temporary clerical and administrative workers are supplied from agencies to the Department under the Home Office Framework. The supplying agencies are selected by fair competition on the basis of value for money. The Department contracts with the supplying agencies and not their temporary employees.
	The Department cannot interfere in the commercial relationship between an agency and its employee and so cannot ensure parity in the rates paid by the agency to its employee as compared with the Department's own employees.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department operates a Long Service Award scheme—a reward of either a monetary nature or special leave, which is given to staff in recognition of having served for more than 20 years. The figures available for the monetary payments are presented as follows. The information about leave taken instead of payment is not held centrally and would incur disproportional cost to establish.
	
		
			  Period covered  £  Number 
			 2006-07 3,200.00 16 
			 2007-08 3,000.00 15 
			 2008-09 to December 2,200.00 10 
			 Total 8,400.00 41

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700.

Ben Bradshaw: Separate records of these occasions are not kept.

Eyesight: Testing

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of privately-funded eye examinations paid for by an individual's employer.

Ann Keen: The General Ophthalmic Services Activity Statistics for England and Wales for the year ending March 2008, published by the Information Centre, estimated that of the 16 million sight tests undertaken during 2007-08 5 million of these were privately funded sight tests. The Department does not collect statistics on privately funded sight tests and as a consequence has made no estimate of the proportion of those funded by employers.

Food: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many public food analyst laboratories his Department operated in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not operate public analyst laboratories.
	As central competent authority for food safety and standards, the Food Standards Agency has a responsibility to ensure United Kingdom food control bodies have access to analytical services to enable them to carry out statutory functions. Statutory provisions require local authorities to appoint a 'public analyst'. These public analysts operate independently and are not part of central Government. Information on these appointments is not held centrally. However at the end of 2008 there were 21 public analysts laboratories in the UK, 22 at the end of 2007, and 23 at the end of 2006.

General Practitioners

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information  (a) his Department and  (b) NHS agencies collect on the number of patients not registered with a GP.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department collects figures on the numbers of patients registered with general practitioner (GP) practices. Information on the number of patients not registered with a GP is derived from periodic survey of the population as no data are collected routinely on those people who are not registered with a GP.

General Practitioners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the GP patient survey has cost in each year since its inception; how much it is costing this year; how many surveys were sent out in each year and how many responses were received; if he will list the new  (a) questions and  (b) answer options which were added this year; and who chooses the questions.

Ben Bradshaw: Budgets for the GP patient survey project were £11 million in 2006-07, £10 million in 2007-08 and £8 million for 2008-09. It is not appropriate to provide costs paid to the survey provider, Ipsos Mori, as that is commercially sensitive information.
	The number of surveys issued to patients in each year and the number of responses received are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   GP patient survey  Number sent out  Number of responses 
			 2006-07 Access 5.2 million 2.3 million 
			  Hospital Choice 2.0 million 267,440 
			 2007-08 Access 4.9 million 2.0 million 
			  Hospital Choice 2.0 million 283,400 
			 2008-09 New 5.7 million (1)— 
			 (1 )Not yet available. 
		
	
	A sample copy of the 2008-09 questionnaire has been placed in the Library. All questions and answers listed here are new with the exception of key demographic questions 37, 38, 39, 44, 46 and 47.
	Questions have been developed and chosen through a systematic review process undertaken by a Joint Review Group comprising independent primary care research experts, independent survey experts and officials from the Department. This process also included engagement with a range of stakeholder representatives.

Genito-Urinary Medicine

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who were unable to obtain an appointment at a genito-urinary medicine clinic on the day they presented at the clinic in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: No such estimate has been made.
	Data on access to genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics are collected on the number of people seen within two normal working days and the number of people offered an appointment within two normal working days. Data for November 2008 shows that 86.6 per cent. of people were seen within two working days and 99.7 per cent. were offered an appointment within two working days. This compares with 80.6 per cent. of people seen within two working days and 92.7 per cent. offered an appointment within two working days in November 2007.

Health Services: Elderly

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people have received services under the quality care and support system in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Information about the number of elderly people who have received services under the quality care and support system in Hemel Hempstead in each of the last five years is not available.
	However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes information on the number of people receiving local authority funded social care in a domiciliary or residential setting in England. Information is collected from Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs). Data are not collected centrally at constituency level.
	The following table shows the number of individuals in Hertfordshire aged 65 and over who received domiciliary or residential care funded wholly or in part by councils with adult social services responsibilities as at 31 March of each year.
	
		
			  Number of people aged 65 and over receiving care funded wholly or in part by councils with adult social services responsibilities as at 31 March, England 
			   Hertfordshire (rounded numbers) 
			  2004  
			 Domiciliary care (1)— 
			 Residential care(2,)( )(3,)( )(4,)( )(5) 4,035 
			   
			  2005  
			 Domiciliary care 9,900 
			 Residential care(2,)( )(3,)( )(4,)( )(5) 3,950 
			   
			  2006  
			 Domiciliary care 8,840 
			 Residential care(2,)( )(3,)( )(4,)( )(5) 3,480 
			   
			  2007  
			 Domiciliary care 11,535 
			 Residential care(2,)( )(3,)( )(4,)( )(5) 3,505 
			   
			  2008(6)  
			 Domiciliary care 13,015 
			 Residential care(2,)( )(3,)( )(4,)( )(5) 3,520 
			 (1) Not available. Data for 31 March 2004 are not comparable to future years as guidance was restated for the 2004-05 collection. (2) Data include clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (3) Data include Boyd loophole residents. (4) Includes nursing care. (5) Excludes other, unstaffed homes and adult placements. (6) Data for 2007-08 are provisional.  Source:  RAP from P2s and SR1 form Table S4.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been claimed from the NHS by each other EU member state through the European Health Insurance Card and its predecessors in each of the last 11 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the amounts claimed by other European Economic Area (EEA) member states for each of the last seven calendar claim years. Comparable information prior to 2002 is not available. The amounts are combined claims for temporary visitors (via European Health Insurance Cards), posted workers (via E106 forms) and referrals for treatment in other EEA countries (via E112 forms) as, due to the nature of the claims system between member states, it is not possible to disaggregate this data. The figures in the table reflect the fact that EEA medical costs are typically submitted by EEA member states (including the United Kingdom) one to three, and sometimes more, years in arrears.
	
		
			  Claims submitted under Article 93 of European Union Regulation (EEC) No 574/72  initial claim values (£ equivalent) by calendar claim year 
			  Country  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Austria 1,172,251 2,339,976 2,145,908 2,547,612 805,131 2,183,936 1,860,261 
			 Belgium 2,108,806 2,421,236 2,634,767 3,234,954 2,613,249 2,549,536 — 
			 Bulgaria — — — — — 26,241 — 
			 Cyprus — — 216,881 637,948 855,376 430,401 247,083 
			 Czech Republic — — 60,298 163,900 201,815 248,298 — 
			 Finland — — — 15,250 2,135 17,850 3,596 
			 France 19,137,205 21,314,986 24,789,881 27,101,124 29,743,752 36,314,550 18,674,600 
			 Germany 829,117 4,816,906 6,689,242 5,916,745 7,715,155 7,810,500 5,633,498 
			 Greece 100,465 219,116 61,623 448,216 180,168 80,628 — 
			 Iceland 11,401 12,166 24,130 20,588 71,607 20,203 48,967 
			 Ireland 9,666,772 11,499,116 12,860,659 13,505,505 14,257,564 16,644,929 17,489,362 
			 Italy 2,375,970 2,434,080 3,094,296 1,422,850 2,972,547 5,969,795 1,103,060 
			 Latvia — — — 1,091 2,185 — — 
			 Liechtenstein 2,744 1,261 4,937 2,819 3,230 2,000 — 
			 Lithuania — — 1,881 5,991 6,698 13,458 3,305 
			 Luxembourg — — — — — — — 
			 Netherlands 2,891,042 2,858,199 172,691 1,790 5,893 3,203,987 1,725,064 
			 Norway — — — — — — — 
			 Poland — — 41,387 182,700 403,405 700,080 642,496 
			 Portugal — 497 — — — — — 
			 Romania — — — — — — 2,079 
			 Slovakia — — 2,512 34,775 108,263 96,561 302,208 
			 Slovenia — — 27,428 103,391 131,670 112,358 — 
			 Spain 9,472,037 10,510,499 11,145,121 12,977,105 15,218,396 13,352,421 640,674 
			 Sweden 1,083,178 576,989 1,170,164 1,040,404 1,195,799 1,053,430 565,681 
			 Switzerland 256,189 1,591,425 2,581,536 2,666,880 3,425,678 3,584,290 3,266,491 
			  Notes: 1. Under European Union regulations claims are made on a calendar year basis. Totals for each calendar year are based on claims submitted to date. 2. £ equivalent amounts are based on European Union quarterly exchange rates for conversion of currencies for the application period January, February and March 2009. 3. The total for Ireland for 2008 is an estimate based on a trend projection. Totals for Ireland for 2008 and previous years are currently subject to a joint review with Ireland.

Health Services: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in the provision of a new health facility in the Cam and Dunley area in Stroud constituency; and whether he plans to re-use the Berkeley Hospital site.

Ben Bradshaw: The provision of services is a matter for the national health service locally to resolve by working in partnership with the communities that they serve.
	We have been advised by the South West strategic health authority that the Gloucestershire primary care trust is continuing to work with the local community to develop new ways of delivering health and social care services to provide care closer to home. This includes looking at health needs, patient and carer benefits and service developments that are effective and make maximum use of new technology and staff skills.

Heart Diseases

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the National Service framework has played in helping to reduce the number of deaths from heart disease; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1193W.

Hip Replacements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts performed between one and 24 revision hip replacements in the latest year for which figures are available, as recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database.

Ann Keen: The following table contains a list of the national health service trusts performing between one and 24 (inclusive) revision hip replacements. The count of revision hip replacements is defined as a count of finished consultant episodes with a mention of a revision hip replacement procedure.
	
		
			  Provider code  Provider code name 
			 5M2 Shropshire County Primary Care Trust 
			 NT604 Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NT802 Capio Reading Hospital NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NT808 Capio New Hall Hospital NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NTC01 Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RA3 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 
			 RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RBT The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RBZ Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RCF Airedale NHS Trust 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RD8 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RE9 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust 
			 REM Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RG3TC Orpington Treatment Centre 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 
			 RJD-X Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RJLT1 Goole Treatment Centre 
			 RJN East Cheshire NHS Trust 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RM2 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RM3 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RM4 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RMC Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RMP Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust 
			 RN7 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 
			 RNA Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RPRTC Chichester Treatment Centre 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RRK University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVR-X Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVY Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RW3 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RWJ Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS trust 
			  Note s : 1. A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end.  2. The figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.

HIV Infection

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome in England.

Dawn Primarolo: There were 11,529 individuals reported as ever having been diagnosed with AIDS who were resident in England and who had accessed HIV-related care in the United Kingdom in 2007. Most of these will have been diagnosed with AIDS before 2007 and will have received treatment to enable reconstitution of their immune systems so that they are no longer at high risk of developing a further AIDS-defining illness.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to the NHS of treating a HIV positive patient with antiretroviral medication.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated annual treatment costs to the national health service for a patient with HIV vary according to the severity of the disease. The estimated average annual costs to the NHS of treating an HIV positive patient with combination antiretroviral drugs is £14,000.

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received publicly-funded home care during the September sample week during each of the last 11 years; and at what cost in each of those years.

Phil Hope: I understand from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care that the number of people in receipt of publicly funded home care during the September sample week for each of the last 11 years, and the associated costs, are as shown in the following tables.
	The figures for the estimated number of adult service users receiving home help or home care have decreased. This is because councils are prioritising those with the highest levels of need who otherwise may have had to enter residential care and thereby lose their independence. Consequently a more intensive service is being delivered to fewer people. In addition, some home care is now purchased through direct payments and such services are not included in the figures. Direct payments were introduced for adults of working age in April 1997, through the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996. Direct payments were extended to older people in 2000.
	Gross expenditure for home care is increasing year on year, because the proportion of those supported intensively to live at home independently has continued to increase.
	
		
			  Table 1: Estimated number of adult service users aged 18 and over receiving home help or home care, 2000-07( 1) : England, survey week during September 
			   Service Users : 
			   Rounded numbers 
			 2000 414,700 
			 2001 395,500 
			 2002 382,000 
			 2003 373,700 
			 2004 368,600 
			 2005 367,800 
			 2006 359,000 
			 2007 346,700 
			 (1 )Households receiving home care purchased with a direct payment are excluded.  Source:  HHl Return 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Gross current expenditure for home care for adults aged 18 and over, in cash and real terms 1997-98 to 2007-08: England 
			£ million 
			   Cash  Real( 1) 
			 1997-98 1,334 1,694 
			 1998-99 1,419 1,764 
			 1999-2000 1,539 1,877 
			 2000-01(2) 1,606 1,933 
			 2001-02 1,691 1,991 
			 2002-03 1,796 2,048 
			 2003-04(3) 1,982 2,198 
			 2004-05 2,220 2,397 
			 2005-06 2,486 2,630 
			 2006-07 2,643 2,721 
			 2007-08(4) 2,718 2,718 
			 (1) Data have been adjusted to 2007-08 prices using the gross domestic product deflator. (2) In 2000-01 the PSS EXl Return was introduced, prior to this expenditure was collected on the RO3 return and is not comparable to previous years. (3) From 2003-04 onwards additional funding was made available via the Supporting People grant. (4) 2007-08 data are provisional.  Source: RO3 and PSS EX1 Return

Home Care Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the most recent HH1 returns.

Phil Hope: I understand from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care that it collects and publishes information on people receiving Home Care during a sample week in September via the Home Help Return (HHl).
	The results from the 2007 HHl returns were published with its corresponding tables, in Community Care Statistics 2007: Home Help/Care Services for adults, England. The publication and tables have been placed in the Library.
	The results from the 2008 HHl returns are expected to be published in spring 2009.

Hospitals: Capital Investment

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase capital expenditure on hospitals as part of the Government's plans to create up to 100,000 new jobs through public works;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by increased funding for hospital projects in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011 under the Government's plans to create up to 100,000 new jobs through public works; and what proportion of these jobs he estimates will go to British workers.

Ben Bradshaw: The figure of 100,000 is based on initial estimates provided to the Treasury from all Government Departments about the potential employment impact in 2009-10 of the total public capital resources available to them as announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report, including the fiscal stimulus. The Department has made initial estimates that continuing work on new, centrally recorded public capital funded hospital and other health care schemes will sustain and create over 7,500 construction jobs in 2009-10. These figures do not include construction jobs which will be sustained and generated under minor works programmes or the Department's public-private partnership building programmes such as the private finance initiative, which are financed by national health service bodies from revenue budgets.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of NHS patients on waiting lists in Gloucestershire was in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2007, broken down by category of patient.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. The following tables show the total number of patients waiting broken down by speciality for the acute trusts in the Gloucestershire area for the periods 1997, 2002, 2005 and 2007.
	In 1997, people could wait longer than 18 months for an operation in hospital. By October 2008, the median wait for in-patient treatment has fallen to 8.2 weeks from 18.8 weeks in 1997. Waits were much longer if you include the 'hidden waits' for diagnostic tests. Since data were first collected in April 2006, the average wait for a diagnostic test has fallen from 6.1 weeks to just 1.6 weeks in November 2008.
	
		
			  Total in-patient waits in Gloucestershire—1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007; broken down by patient speciality 
			  Total waiting list 
			   East Gloucestershire NHS trust 
			  Spec. name  1997  2001 
			 General surgery 437 328 
			 Urology 116 115 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 773 743 
			 ENT 322 0 
			 Ophthalmology 582 1,834 
			 Oral surgery 257 299 
			 Plastic surgery 72 38 
			 Paediatric surgery 6 1 
			 Anaesthetics 39 0 
			 General medicine 85 1 
			 Gastroenterology 0 7 
			 Cardiology 81 100 
			 Rheumatology 0 1 
			 Gynaecology 461 209 
			 Total 3,231 3,676 
		
	
	
		
			  Total waiting list 
			   Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			  Spec. name  2005  2007 
			 General surgery 895 891 
			 Urology 347 355 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 2,738 2,982 
			 ENT 628 528 
			 Ophthalmology 1,037 1,124 
			 Oral surgery 549 473 
			 Plastic surgery 19 10 
			 Gastroenterology 4 0 
			 Cardiology 173 190 
			 Dermatology 0 3 
			 Neurology 0 9 
			 Gynaecology 400 544 
			 Total 6,790 7,109 
		
	
	
		
			  Total waiting list 
			   Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust 
			  Spec. name  1997  2001 
			 General surgery 662 592 
			 Urology 312 224 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 1,398 1,448 
			 ENT 325 718 
			 Ophthalmology 769 0 
			 Oral surgery 396 230 
			 General medicine 382 0 
			 Gynaecology 212 137 
			 Total 4,456 3,349 
			  Notes: 1. 2002-03 saw the merger of Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust with the acute services arm of East Gloucestershire NHS Trust. The newly created organisation was Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 2. The figures used show a 'snap-shot' of the in-patient waiting list as at 31 March of each year. They are not cumulative figures. 3. Data relating to General medicine were collected as a patient speciality until September 2007. 4. The figures are a snapshot of the waiting list on the day of the data collection therefore the numbers will naturally fluctuate.  Source: KH07—Provider based inpatient waiting times statistics.

Influenza: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible patients have received the influenza vaccine in each primary care trust in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested for 2007-08 influenza vaccine uptake has already been placed in the Library.
	The information on influenza vaccine uptake from 1 September 2008 to 31 December 2008 is shown in the following table. Information on rates of influenza vaccination will continue to be recorded throughout January 2009 and results covering the whole season will be available in February 2009.
	
		
			   Percentage uptake 
			  Primary care trust (PCT)  65 and over  under 65 (at risk) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 72.4 50.6 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 35.3 29.6 
			 Barnet PCT 74.1 44.9 
			 Barnsley PCT 71.9 50.7 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 75.7 47.6 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 74.4 41.8 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 73.4 43.9 
			 Berkshire East PCT 72.7 48.2 
			 Berkshire West PCT 75.5 47.1 
			 Bexley Care Trust (PCT Based) 61.1 41.9 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 69.2 45 
			 Blackburn With Darwen PCT 69.1 51 
			 Blackpool PCT 70.8 48.1 
			 Bolton PCT 70.8 48.9 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 72.3 46.2 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 75.2 47.1 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 69.2 49.2 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 70 43.6 
			 Bristol PCT 75.4 43 
			 Bromley PCT 70.7 40.3 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 72.7 44.6 
			 Bury PCT 71.7 41.4 
			 Calderdale PCT 70.5 48.7 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 74.2 46 
			 Camden PCT 71.1 30.5 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 77.6 51.3 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 74.2 52.4 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 72.1 54.1 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 71.1 46.6 
			 County Durham PCT 73 43.7 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 67.5 45.1 
			 Croydon PCT 67.3 35.5 
			 Cumbria PCT 75.1 50.3 
			 Darlington PCT 75.1 48.3 
			 Derby City PCT 74 29.9 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 75.2 39.2 
			 Devon PCT 71.4 46.5 
			 Doncaster PCT 73.9 50.1 
			 Dorset PCT 69 47 
			 Dudley PCT 70.4 35.9 
			 Ealing PCT 70.4 46.4 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 76.3 41.3 
			 East Lancashire PCT 67.8 48.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 73.3 49.2 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 71 44.9 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 70.7 43.2 
			 Enfield PCT 71.1 46.3 
			 Gateshead PCT 74.8 50.8 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 76.2 51.1 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 74.7 49.5 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 68.6 48.3 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 73.9 48.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 70.8 39.3 
			 Hampshire PCT 73.7 47.4 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 69.7 44.8 
			 Harrow PCT 70.5 47.2 
			 Hartlepool PCT 72.9 47.6 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 73.5 49.4 
			 Havering PCT 72.7 52.6 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 77.6 53 
			 Herefordshire PCT 73.1 48.9 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 72.7 45.4 
			 Hillingdon PCT 71.5 48.7 
			 Hounslow PCT 70.8 49.9 
			 Hull PCT 75.5 51 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 72.3 45.7 
			 Islington PCT 70.9 44.6 
			 Kensington And Chelsea PCT 70.1 46 
			 Kingston PCT 70.3 43.1 
			 Kirklees PCT 72 45.7 
			 Knowsley PCT 74.8 45.1 
			 Lambeth PCT 64.9 39.7 
			 Leeds PCT 76.9 44 
			 Leicester City PCT 70.3 50.6 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 72.5 45.3 
			 Lewisham PCT 69.1 39.8 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 73.3 47.6 
			 Liverpool PCT 72.1 37.4 
			 Luton PCT 69.2 45.8 
			 Manchester PCT 68.9 45.6 
			 Medway PCT 74.1 46.3 
			 Mid Essex PCT 74.9 43.9 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 74.3 44.4 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 72.1 50.5 
			 Newcastle PCT 76.9 48.6 
			 Newham PCT 72.4 52.3 
			 Norfolk PCT 73.4 45.9 
			 North East Essex PCT 72.6 45.3 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus (PCT Based) 72.9 44.2 
			 North Lancashire PCT 74.3 49.3 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 73.5 47 
			 North Somerset PCT t 76.6 45.2 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 72.4 46.9 
			 North Tees PCT 73.6 46.7 
			 North Tyneside PCT 76.4 45 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 75.2 49.3 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 73.6 47.1 
			 Northumberland Care Trust (PCT Based) 73.7 48.3 
			 Nottingham City PCT 72.5 46.8 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 75.1 39.9 
			 Oldham PCT 72.3 51.6 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 75.9 47 
			 Peterborough PCT 73.6 48.6 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 73.2 49 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 74.3 48.1 
			 Redbridge PCT 73.9 43.5 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 76.3 52.3 
			 Richmond And Twickenham PCT 74.4 47.7 
			 Rotherham PCT 76.1 51.2 
			 Salford PCT 73.1 43.5 
			 Sandwell PCT 68.6 47.3 
			 Sefton PCT 74.8 45.1 
			 Sheffield PCT 74.5 46 
			 Shropshire County PCT 71.2 47.7 
			 Solihull Care Trust (PCT Based) 73.1 48.3 
			 Somerset PCT 74.4 47.6 
			 South Birmingham PCT 70.5 42.5 
			 South East Essex PCT 72.3 43.9 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 75 48.8 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 72.5 44.4 
			 South Tyneside PCT 76 50.8 
			 South West Essex PCT 76.1 45.7 
			 Southampton City PCT 74.1 50.5 
			 Southwark PCT 65.9 42.8 
			 Stockport PCT 76.3 45.5 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 73.8 46.6 
			 Suffolk PCT 74.1 39.3 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 76.1 49.4 
			 Surrey PCT 69.6 42.5 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 70.2 38.4 
			 Swindon PCT 71.8 47 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 75.3 49.8 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 69.3 46.9 
			 Torbay Care Trust (PCT Based) 71.9 40 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 72.9 50.2 
			 Trafford PCT 79 44 
			 Wakefield District PCT 74.1 46.4 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 73.6 48.4 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 73.2 47.7 
			 Wandsworth PCT 68.3 24 
			 Warrington PCT 73.9 47.2 
			 Warwickshire PCT 74.4 49 
			 West Cheshire PCT 74.7 46.2 
			 West Essex PCT 72.2 44 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 76.5 48.6 
			 West Kent PCT 75 42.2 
			 West Sussex PCT 73.1 45.5 
			 Westminster PCT 70.7 46.6 
			 Wiltshire PCT 74 48.4 
			 Wirral PCT 75.2 46.4 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 72 47.2 
			 Worcestershire PCT 73.1 45.7

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes there were for injuries from assaults by a sharp object, including knives, in each NHS trust where the patient was aged  (a) under 10,  (b) 10 to 15,  (c) 16 to 18,  (d) 19 to 25,  (e) 26 to 35,  (f) 36 to 45 and  (g) 46 years and older in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is collected on the number of finished admission episodes to hospital. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	Tables which provide information for the clinical code 'X99'—assault by sharp object, have been placed in the Library. The code 'X99' includes cases where someone has been attacked using a sharp object (including but not exclusive to knives). The tables provide data which are broken down by each strategic health authority. It is not possible to provide a response to this question for each national health service trust as the numbers involved are mostly very small and many of them would need to be suppressed in order to preserve confidentiality.
	It is important to refer to the footnotes and clinical codes when interpreting the data.

King's College Hospital

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new designated space at King's College Hospital for the former emergency clinic of Maudsley Hospital will be completed.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is a matter for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Michael Parker, Chair of King's College NHS Foundation Trust, informing him of my hon. Friend's inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Knee Replacements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts performed between one and 14 revision knee replacements in the latest year for which figures are available, as recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database.

Ann Keen: The following table contains a list of the national health service trusts performing between one and 14 (inclusive) finished consultant episodes with a mention of a revision knee replacement procedure in 2006-07.
	
		
			  Provider code  Provider code name 
			 NT604 Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NT826 Horton NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NTC01 Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NTD02 The Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Treatment Centre 
			 NTY32 King Edward VII Hospital 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RA4 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RBT The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RBZ Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RCF Airedale NHS Trust 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RD8 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RE9 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust 
			 REM Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RFF Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RFR The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RG3TC Orpington Treatment Centre 
			 RG3-X Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RGP James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 
			 RJDTC Cannock Chase Treatment Centre 
			 RJLT1 Goole Treatment Centre 
			 RJN East Cheshire NHS Trust 
			 RJR Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RM2 University Hospital Of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RM3 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RM4 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RMP Tameside And Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust 
			 RN1TC Winchester NHS Treatment Centre 
			 RN7 Dartford And Gravesham NHS Trust 
			 RNA Dudley Group Of Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RNS Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RPRTC Chichester Treatment Centre 
			 RPR-X Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 
			 RRK University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RTP Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RTX University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 
			 RVR-X Epsom And St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVY Southport And Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde And Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXW Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Note: A finished consultant episode is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. They are counted against the year in which they end. The figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.

Lung Diseases

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the incidence of  (a) respiratory diseases and  (b) cardiovascular disease; and at what levels of disaggregation these statistics are available.

Ann Keen: Information on the incidence of different respiratory diseases and cardiovascular disease is not collected centrally.

Maternity Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2094W, on maternity services, if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by his Department to strategic health authority chief executives on 22 August 2008.

Ann Keen: The letter has been placed in the Library.

Medicine: Education

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students  (a) started and  (b) graduated from medical degree courses in England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The number of students starting and graduating from medical degree courses in England in each year since 1997 is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Actual intake  Graduate output 
			 1997-98 3,749 3,261 
			 1998-99 3,735 3,097 
			 1999-2000 3,972 3,373 
			 2000-01 4,300 3,286 
			 2001-02 4,713 3,280 
			 2002-03 5,277 3,522 
			 2003-04 6,030 3,734 
			 2004-05 6,294 3,935 
			 2005-06 6,298 4,376 
			 2006-07 6,401 4,904 
			 2007-08 6,264 5,569

Mental Health Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to  (a) promote the use of cognitive stimulation therapy and  (b) provide assistance to the cognitive help and therapy community-based initiative.

Phil Hope: The Department has no plans to promote the use of cognitive stimulation therapy. The responsibility for the provision of all national health service services rests with primary care trusts (PCTs), and decisions about whether or not to use specific treatments are made by each PCT.
	It is also for each PCT to decide upon spending levels for specific health care treatments and services, and to commission these services.

Mental Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of supply of mental health services to meet demand for such services over the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: Since 2001-02, real terms investment in adult mental health services increased by 44 per cent. (or £1.7 billion) putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. The national health service spent £5.53 billion on these services in 2007-08 alone. This is why we now have over 740 new community mental health teams offering home treatment, early intervention, or intensive support for people who might otherwise have been admitted to hospital, and now have 64 per cent. more consultant psychiatrists, 71 per cent. more clinical psychologists and 21 per cent. more mental health nurses than in 1997. In addition we are rolling out a programme to give more access to psychological therapies to people with depression and anxiety. The provision of all NHS services, including mental health treatments, ultimately rests with commissioning trusts and it is for primary care trusts, in conjunction with their strategic health authorities, to plan and develop services according to the needs of their local communities.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) emergency and  (b) elective hospital admissions for musculoskeletal conditions were recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database in each year since 1997-98, broken down by age group.

Ben Bradshaw: We are unable to provide the information as requested because the classification system of diseases (ICD-10) that is used to categorise the hospital episode statistics does not allow us to accurately collate admission data for people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system alongside people with other conditions that have musculoskeletal symptoms, or musculoskeletal implications.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many episodes of care entailed  (a) a shoulder replacement,  (b) an ankle replacement,  (c) an elbow replacement and  (d) a scoliosis correction procedure there were in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by provider organisation.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	Unfortunately we are unable to provide data for 'a scoliosis correction procedure' as we cannot identify which procedures this term includes.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the  (a) mean and  (b) median waiting time has been since 1997-98 for an inpatient appointment with a diagnosis of pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions, as recorded in the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, broken down by area of commissioning responsibility;
	(2)  how many  (a) emergency and  (b) elective hospital admissions for pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions there have been in each year since 1997-98, as recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does collect information related to admissions for musculoskeletal conditions. However, these are not classified by their association with pain.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating musculoskeletal conditions.

Ann Keen: Estimates of national health service expenditure on problems of the musculoskeletal system are available from programme budgeting returns, which can be found in the "Department of Health: Departmental Report 2008", a copy of which has been placed in the Library, and show for the 2006-07 financial year, the latest for which figures are available, estimated NHS expenditure on problems of the musculoskeletal system was £3.5 billion. Musculo skeletal system expenditure which falls under general medical services and personal medical services is not included in this figure.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of changes in demand for NHS musculoskeletal services over the next 10 years; what proportion of NHS bed days he estimates will be occupied by people with musculoskeletal problems in each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has not made any specific assessment of changes in demand for national health service musculoskeletal services over the next ten years nor the proportion of bed days will be occupied by people with musculoskeletal problems. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts in working with providers of services to plan for future demand using all available sources of information. To support primary care trusts in undertaking this work, the 18 weeks programme has developed a range of orthopaedic commissioning pathways on for example Hip Pain, Knee Pain, Shoulder Pain, Chronic Pain Back pain and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A further pathway is planned for arthritis and is currently under development.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Surgery

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) primary total hip replacements,  (b) revision total hip replacements,  (c) primary total knee replacements and  (d) revision total knee replacements there have been in the NHS in each year since 1997-98; and if he will break down the data by primary care trust area for the latest year for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of  (a) admitted and  (b) non-admitted patients were treated within 18 weeks following GP referral in each month since January 2007 in the (i) orthopaedic and (ii) rheumatology specialty, broken down by strategic health authority area; and what the (A) mean and (B) median length of time from referral to treatment was for a patient in the (1) orthopaedic and (2) rheumatology specialty in each month since January 2007, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ann Keen: The data have been placed in the Library.
	Figures have been provided on a commissioner basis, as this is the basis against which the national referral to treatment targets are being measured. Figures on mean waiting times have not been calculated as the distribution of waits in the final time band is not known.

NHS Litigation Authority

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the gross value of the provisions held by the NHS Litigation Authority was for each category for which provisions were made in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The information requested in the following table and was provided by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA).
	
		
			  Provisions recorded by the NHSLA by year and by scheme 
			  £ million 
			   Ex-Regional Health Authorities Scheme  Existing Liabilities Scheme  Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts  Property Expenses Scheme  Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme  Total 
			 1998-99 64.57 0.00 1,166.72 0.00 0.00 1,231.28 
			 1999-2000 78.81 0.00 1,777.27 2.50 3.86 1,862.43 
			 2000-01 79.36 1,826.79 2,212.52 10.11 41.47 4,170.25 
			 2001-02 50.92 1,471.24 3,720.46 3.45 65.39 5,311.45 
			 2002-03 29.49 1,182.20 3,639.79 5.26 58.43 4,915.18 
			 2003-04 27.90 1,176.24 5,094.85 8.15 88.65 6,395.80 
			 2004-05 25.61 1,153.37 5,709.63 8.98 105.42 7,003.00 
			 2005-06 28.71 1,402.14 6,788.61 8.99 116.54 8,344.98 
			 2006-07 28.12 1,359.62 7,706.97 7.16 122.59 9,224.46 
			 2007-08 42.20 1,925.24 9,943.37 8.25 141.05 12,060.12

NHS Treatment Centres

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have awarded contracts to private companies to operate walk-in centres; and which company has been awarded the contract in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: With regard to which primary care trusts (PCTs) may have locally commissioned private sector companies to operate national health service (NHS) commuter walk-in centres (CWICs), this information is not held centrally.
	The Department holds information about six NHS CWiCs procured as part of the centrally funded independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme.
	These centres are operated by the following providers:
	
		
			  Centre location  Provider  Opened 
			 Manchester Piccadilly walk-in centre Atos Origin, IT Services UK Ltd. 17 November 2005 
			 London Liverpool Street walk-in centre Walk-in Health Ltd. 19 December 2005 
			 London Canary Wharf walk-in centre Atos Origin, IT Services UK Ltd. 21 April 2006 
			 Newcastle Central walk-in centre Care UK Clinical Services Ltd. 17 May 2006 
			 London Victoria walk-in centre Care UK Clinical Services Ltd. 11 December 2006 
			 Headrow walk-in centre, Leeds Netcare Healthcare UK Ltd. 1 February 2007

NHS: Billing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 169W, on NHS: finance, what proportion of undisputed invoices for goods and services  (a) were paid and  (b) were not paid by NHS trusts within contract terms or within 10 days where no terms had been agreed since 31 October 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service prompt payments to suppliers' performance information, is collected on a quarterly and on an annual basis against a 30 day target.
	The latest information available is for the period 1 April 2008 to 30 September 2008. For this period NHS trusts recorded an 84.5 per cent. achievement against the 30 day payment target for non-NHS payments leaving 15.5 per cent. outside of the target. This compares to an achievement over the first two quarters of 2007-08 of 82.6 per cent., an improvement over the whole year.
	David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive, wrote to all NHS Trust Chief Executives on 21 October asking them to examine and review existing payment practices and payment performance and to move as closely as possible to the 10-day payment commitment that has been set for Government Departments wherever practical. Bill Moyes, Executive Chair, Monitor, has written similarly to all foundation trusts.
	However we do not currently collect performance data of total NHS bills paid within 10 days because no specific requirement has yet been placed on NHS bodies to meet this target.

NHS: Buildings

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) of 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 164W, what the  (a) actual and  (b) risk-adjusted backlog maintenance was for each NHS trust in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	Public capital expenditure in the national health service has risen every year since 1999-2000 and will rise from £4.7 billion in 2008-09 to a record peak of £5.6 billion in 2009-10; at the same time 76 hospital schemes funded under the Private Finance Initiative have opened worth £5.3 billion. These record levels of capital investment in the national health service estate have resulted in a quarter of the estate occupied by NHS trusts being replaced since 1997, and the proportion of the estate that predates the establishment of the NHS itself has fallen from 50 per cent. in 1997-98 to less than 20 per cent. in 2007-08.
	NHS organisations are responsible for the provision and maintenance of facilities to support the delivery of high quality clinical services. Therefore, the NHS will locally prioritise investment to reduce backlog maintenance based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. The majority of backlog maintenance relates to low priority work, which trusts will undertake through maintenance programmes. Where higher risks are present, work will be undertaken as a priority. While levels of backlog maintenance vary across the NHS, it is estimated that around 75 per cent. of the total costs to eradicate backlog maintenance is concentrated in 20 per cent. of organisations.
	The Department collects data on backlog maintenance and risk adjusted backlog maintenance annually from NHS trusts through its Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC). The data provided are not amended centrally and the responsibility for its accuracy lies with the contributing NHS organisations.

NHS: Buildings

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) of 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 164W, on NHS: buildings, when he plans to publish backlog data for 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department collects data on backlog maintenance annually from national health service trusts through its Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC). The data are published at the end of October each year on the Health Estates Facilities Statistics website. The 2008-09 data will be available by the end of October 2009.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been convicted of abusing NHS staff on  (a), one,  (b) two,  (c) three and  (d) four or more occasions in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2004-05, the number of criminal sanctions reported by national health service bodies in England in cases of physical assaults against NHS staff has been collected annually by the NHS Security Management Service. This information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 759 
			 2005-06 850 
			 2006-07 869 
			 2007-08 992 
		
	
	Criminal sanctions include:
	cautions and conditional cautions;
	community rehabilitation or punishment orders;
	imprisonment (including suspended sentences);
	conditional discharges; and
	fines.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers he has in existing legislation to make directions requiring NHS bodies to publish information relating to the quality of NHS services which they provide; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Section 8 of the National Health Service Act 2006 provides that the Secretary of State may give directions to certain NHS bodies about the exercise of any of their functions. The Secretary of State may use the powers in section 8 to require the publication of information by these bodies. This power covers NHS bodies in public ownership, but does not allow the Secretary of State to make directions for other bodies providing NHS healthcare services.
	The quality accounts provisions in the Health Bill published on 16 January seek to establish a requirement for anyone providing NHS healthcare services to publish information about the quality of those services, regardless of the status of the provider, as set out in the report of Government's review of the future of the NHS, "High Quality Care for All".

NHS: Safety

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision there is for exempting NHS organisations from full compliance with  (a) fire safety standards and  (b) health and safety standards in respect of patient-occupied floor areas; and what measurement his Department makes of such exemptions (i) nationally and (ii) locally.

Ben Bradshaw: The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 removed Crown immunity from national health service premises. Since then, the NHS has been required to comply with all fire safety and health and safety legislation.

NHS: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in piloting integrated care organisations as referred to in his Department's NHS next stage review, "High Quality Care for All", published 30 June 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: Following the announcement that the Department would launch a pilot programme to test and evaluate clinically-led models of integrated care, and an initial event to engage with the national health service and social care organisations, the Department published a prospectus setting out the scope of the programme and process for selection, and inviting applications, in October 2008. Over 100 applications were received by the deadline of November 2008.
	These initial applications were shortlisted down to 37 sites to go forward to the final stage of the selection process during December 2008. This stage will involve further analysis of written information from sites, as well as a series of site visits.
	The aim is for the final pilot sites to be selected by the end of March 2009.
	The pilot programme will run for two years, with the evaluation taking place over three years.

Orthopaedics

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished episodes of care for elective orthopaedic surgery there were in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of elective finished consultant episodes for trauma and orthopaedics in each year from 1997-98 to present is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Finished admission episodes 
			 2006-07 634,488 
			 2005-06 596,001 
			 2004-05 565,735 
			 2003-04 552,560 
			 2002-03 512,732 
			 2001-02 473,979 
			 2000-01 469,388 
			 1999-2000 458,267 
			 1998-99 458,946 
			 1997-98 421,815 
			  Note: 1. HES data cannot distinguish orthopaedic episodes only. Data have been provided where the consultant's main specialty is trauma and orthopaedics. 2. Count of elective finished admission episodes where the consultant's main specialty is trauma and orthopaedics in 1997-98 to 2006-07. 3. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Osteoporosis

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions for  (a) all osteoporosis-related conditions and  (b) osteoporotic fractures there have been in each year since 1997-98, as recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database.

Ann Keen: The total number of hospital admissions where there was a primary diagnosis for osteoporosis, an osteoporosis-related conditions, and osteoporotic fractures, for the years 1997-98 to 2006-07 is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Total finished admission episodes 
			   Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related conditions  Osteoporotic fractures 
			 2006-07 13,218 3,837 
			 2005-06 12,949 4,034 
			 2004-05 11,971 3,924 
			 2003-04 10,422 3,642 
			 2002-03 9,958 3,661 
			 2001-02 10,759 3,311 
			 2000-01 10,420 3,462 
			 1999-2000 9,452 3,292 
			 1998-99 8,915 3,390 
			 1997-98 7,987 3,105 
			  Note:  A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

Pain: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of pain management services provided by the NHS which offer individual psychological therapy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no such estimate. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to decide which services and treatments it will provide to meet the needs of its population.
	The Department does recognise that the effects of chronic pain on quality of life can be considerable, and that the treatment of pain is less successful when psychological components of pain are not addressed through an integrated pain management programme. The Department has published an 18-week patient pathway for chronic pain which provides commissioners with the support they need to commission services appropriately. A copy has been placed in the Library. NHS Choices has also provided information that will raise the awareness of chronic pain and treatments, including psychological components.
	In addition, the Department has established an Expert Patients programme (EPP) to help patients manage their long-term conditions through programmes that address issues such as healthy eating, dealing with pain and extreme tiredness, relaxation techniques and coping with feelings of depression, including a "Persistent Pain programme". The EPP has helped more than 30,000 patients since it was established in April 2002.

Patient Choice Schemes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospital appointments were made in each primary care trust using choose and book in the last period for which figures were available.

Ben Bradshaw: The proportion of general practitioner (GP) referrals to a first consultant-led out-patient appointment made in each primary care trust using Choose and Book for November 2008 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of GP referrals to first out-patient appointments made via Choose and Book (CAB), by primary care trust, November 2008 
			  PCT  Percentage of GP referrals  via CAB 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 64 
			 Barking and Dagenham 70 
			 Barnet 14 
			 Barnsley 93 
			 Bassetlaw 76 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 81 
			 Bedfordshire 34 
			 Berkshire East Teaching 64 
			 Berkshire West 64 
			 Bexley Care Trust 32 
			 Birmingham East and North 44 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 57 
			 Blackpool 68 
			 Bolton 60 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 83 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 48 
			 Brent Teaching 21 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching 36 
			 Bristol Teaching 70 
			 Bromley 25 
			 Buckinghamshire 51 
			 Bury 38 
			 Calderdale 63 
			 Cambridgeshire 44 
			 Camden 25 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 46 
			 Central Lancashire 44 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 39 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 66 
			 County Durham 59 
			 Coventry Teaching 59 
			 Croydon 33 
			 Cumbria 43 
			 Darlington 66 
			 Derby City 71 
			 Derbyshire County 75 
			 Devon 73 
			 Doncaster 73 
			 Dorset 77 
			 Dudley 53 
			 Ealing 32 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 33 
			 East Lancashire 58 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 34 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 24 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 46 
			 Enfield 41 
			 Gateshead 58 
			 Gloucestershire 67 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 40 
			 Greenwich Teaching 47 
			 Halton and St. Helens 38 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 34 
			 Hampshire 34 
			 Haringey Teaching 33 
			 Harrow 36 
			 Hartlepool 61 
			 Hastings and Rother 22 
			 Havering 87 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 46 
			 Herefordshire 43 
			 Hillingdon 34 
			 Hounslow 27 
			 Hull Teaching 66 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare 23 
			 Islington 38 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 54 
			 Kingston 50 
			 Kirklees 41 
			 Knowsley 44 
			 Lambeth 31 
			 Leeds 25 
			 Leicester City Teaching 69 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 64 
			 Lewisham 15 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching 42 
			 Liverpool 57 
			 Luton Teaching 46 
			 Manchester 51 
			 Medway Teaching 58 
			 Mid Essex 54 
			 Middlesbrough 64 
			 Milton Keynes 84 
			 Newcastle 38 
			 Newham 57 
			 Norfolk 33 
			 North East Essex 68 
			 North East Lincolnshire 42 
			 North Lancashire 53 
			 North Lincolnshire 44 
			 North Somerset 68 
			 North Staffordshire 48 
			 North Tees 59 
			 North Tyneside 30 
			 North Yorkshire and York 46 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 94 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 46 
			 Nottingham City 68 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 78 
			 Oldham 71 
			 Oxfordshire 69 
			 Peterborough 38 
			 Plymouth Teaching 79 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 29 
			 Redbridge 54 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 59 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 22 
			 Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton 70 
			 Rotherham 64 
			 Salford Teaching 84 
			 Sandwell 81 
			 Sefton 28 
			 Sheffield 43 
			 Shropshire County 60 
			 Solihull 36 
			 Somerset 87 
			 South Birmingham 37 
			 South East Essex 66 
			 South Gloucestershire 73 
			 South Staffordshire 39 
			 South Tyneside 56 
			 South West Essex Teaching 48 
			 Southampton City 39 
			 Southwark 34 
			 Stockport 60 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching 46 
			 Suffolk 33 
			 Sunderland Teaching 81 
			 Surrey 45 
			 Sutton and Merton 34 
			 Swindon 60 
			 Tameside and Glossop 60 
			 Telford and Wrekin 64 
			 Torbay Care Trust 90 
			 Tower Hamlets 61 
			 Trafford 31 
			 Wakefield 42 
			 Walsall Teaching 34 
			 Waltham Forest 61 
			 Wandsworth 27 
			 Warrington 44 
			 Warwickshire 59 
			 West Cheshire 48 
			 West Essex 48 
			 West Hertfordshire 49 
			 West Kent 37 
			 West Sussex Teaching 51 
			 Westminster 33 
			 Wiltshire 80 
			 Wirral 74 
			 Wolverhampton City 45 
			 Worcestershire 30

Post-mortems

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many post mortems were held in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those followed deaths  (a) in hospital,  (b) in care homes and  (c) under the care of a surgeon.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many post mortems were held in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those followed  (a) deaths in hospital,  (b) deaths in care homes and  (c) deaths under the care of a surgeon. (249787)
	The attached table provides the estimated number of deaths where a postmortem was carried out for the years 1998 to 2007 (the latest year available), and how many of these deaths  (a) occurred in a hospital and  (b) occurred in a care home.
	It is not possible to provide figures for the number of deaths where a postmortem was carried out and the person was under the care of a surgeon, as this information is not recorded at death registration.
	These figures should be treated with caution, as changes from year to year may reflect known issues of incomplete reporting and operational factors affecting the recording of postmortems at death registration.
	
		
			  Table 1. Estimated number of deaths where a post-mortem was carried out, by place of death( 1)  1998-2007( 2) 
			   Postmortems (persons) 
			   Care home  Hospital  Other  Total 
			 1998 8,469 57,260 56,302 122,031 
			 1999 9,168 58,128 57,444 124,740 
			 2000 9,919 61,312 57,490 128,721 
			 2001 9,640 57,846 55,940 123,426 
			 2002 9,523 56,040 53,871 119,434 
			 2003 9,832 55,351 54,601 119,784 
			 2004 9,158 53,532 52,910 115,600 
			 2005 9,004 51,504 53,099 113,607 
			 2006 8,272 49,743 52,200 110,215 
			 2007 7,835 48,511 52,027 108,373 
			 (1) 'Care home' includes private nursing homes (NHS and non-NHS), and residential homes (private and local authority). 'Hospital' includes NHS and non-NHS hospitals, or multifunction sites. Deaths occurring in all places not defined above, including hospices and private residences, are included in the 'other' category. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Prescriptions

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1202-3W, on prescriptions, what reporting process for an error involving a controlled drug in a care establishment is required by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; to which individual services such reports are made; and if he will publish the reports made of such events occurring in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: Care homes registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) must provide a report of serious incidents to CSCI. The CSCI retains these reports in the service record and the information is used during a key inspection process when the care service star rating and inspection frequency is determined. CSCI does not inform any other agency and the content of serious incident notifications is not published.
	CSCI does not receive notification if a controlled drug error was made by the general practitioner who prescribed the controlled drug or by the community pharmacist who supplied the controlled drug. When errors relating to prescribing and supply of medicines occur within the national health service, primary care trusts are encouraged to have a procedure to report the errors to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). But there is no current mechanism for social care services to make similar reports to NPSA about medicine administration errors.

Prescriptions

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a regulatory requirement for a patient to be examined before a prescription for a controlled drug is issued to that patient.

Phil Hope: In general, a patient will be assessed by their prescriber before a prescription, including one for a controlled drug, is issued. However, there is no requirement in regulation for the patient to be examined. The decision as to whether an examination is required is a clinical one made by the prescriber.

Rheumatology

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rheumatology admissions to hospital there were in each year since 1997, as recorded by the Hospital Episodes Statistics database, broken down by whether the admissions were (i) ordinary and (ii) day-case.

Ann Keen: The total number of ordinary, and day case admissions, to hospital where the main consultant specialty is recorded as rheumatology is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Day case  Ordinary 
			 2006-07 62,707 31,577 
			 2005-06 56,938 32,277 
			 2004-05 53,183 31,530 
			 2003-04 49,003 31,440 
			 2002-03 41,003 32,279 
			 2001-02 33,041 34,056 
			 2000-01 30,331 35,524 
			 1999-2000 27,275 37,033 
			 1998-99 24,045 36,968 
			 1997-98 20,496 38,976 
			 1996-97 17,538 40,053 
			  Note:  A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

Tobacco

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have met (i) tobacco companies and (ii) representatives of and lobbyists acting on behalf of tobacco companies in the last three months.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no such meetings.

Wheelchairs: Waiting Lists

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how long on average existing wheelchair users wait for a chair with different specifications in  (a) Southend Hospital Trust,  (b) Essex and  (c) England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average waiting time for a replacement wheelchair after assessment is for existing permanent wheelchair users in  (a) Southend Hospital Trust,  (b) Essex and  (c) England; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Information about waiting times for wheelchair users is not held centrally. The collation of wheelchair information that may assist commissioning decisions is for local determination.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Public Relations

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether the Higher Education Minister received briefing from departmental officials before his television appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.

David Lammy: I received no official briefing from the Department prior to my appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.
	My appearance was in the spirit of charity and raised £2,750 for Action Aid, an international NGO which helps people in the developing world to fight hunger and disease.

Foundation Degrees

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people enrolled on a foundation degree course in each year since its inception; and what the drop-out rate has been in each year.

David Lammy: The information is as follows.
	Table 1 shows the number of enrolments in foundation degrees since 2001/02.
	
		
			  Table 1: Home, EU and overseas enrolments on foundation degrees English higher education institutions and further education colleges academic years 2001/02 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 2001/02 4,320 
			 2002/03 12,310 
			 2003/04 23,945 
			 2004/05 37,820 
			 2005/06 46,780 
			 2006/07 60,580 
			 2007/08 71,915 
			  Note:  The numbers of overseas entrants for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are estimated by assuming they represent the same proportion as for the other years, that is 4.6 per cent. for full-time and 5.5 per cent. for part-time. 2001-02 student numbers include some continuing students from 2000-01 which were marketed as foundation degrees but which may not have had all the attributes described in the HEFCE foundation degree prospectus.  Source:  "Foundation degrees 2007/03" and "Foundation degrees 2008/16" reports published by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Columns one plus two of HESES and HEIFES (2007-08 values are provisional). 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the latest information on the progress of foundation degree students.
	
		
			  Table 2: Home foundation degree students by progress and institution type English higher education institutions and further education colleges—years of entry 2003/04 and 2004/05 
			  Year of entry  Institution type( 1)  Progress( 2)  Number  Percentage 
			 2003/04 FECs All FEC entrants 1,935 100 
			O f which:   
			   Change to FE level course 70 4 
			   Not studying 510 26 
			  HEIs All HEI entrants 9,655 100 
			O f which:   
			   Change to FE level course 235 2 
			   Not studying 1,305 14 
			  
			 2004/05 FECs All FEC entrants 4,805 100 
			O f which:   
			   Change to FE level course 160 3 
			   Not studying 1,225 25 
			  HEIs All HEI entrants 12,615 100 
			O f which:   
			   Change to FE level course 230 2 
			   Not studying 1,580 13 
			 (1) Institution type refers to the institution the student is registered with. (2) Study in the following year includes students registered for any FE or HE study in HEIs in the UK, and students registered for any HE or FE study in FECs in England. Any study outside this coverage is not included and the students will be categorised as 'not studying'.  Source: "Foundation degrees 2007/03" and "Foundation degrees 2008/16" reports published by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). 
		
	
	Figures in table 1 cover home, EU and overseas enrolments, whereas figures in table 2 cover home entrants only.

Foundation Degrees

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of those who have received a foundation degree have gone on to enrol on an honours degree course since the inception of such degrees, broken down by  (a) year and  (b) type of honours institution; and what proportion of such enrolment was into (i) pre-1992 and (ii) post-1992 university.

David Lammy: The latest available information published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is shown in table 1. This information is not available by type of honours institution, or pre/post 1992 university.
	
		
			  Table 1: Home foundation degree qualifiers( 1)  who progressed to an honours  degree;  English higher education institutions—academic years 2004/05 and 2005/06 
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			  Progression to honours degree programmes  Number of qualifiers  Percentage  Number of qualifiers  Percentage 
			 Honours programme registered at same institution 1,140 47 2,260 50 
			 Honours programme registered at different institution 160 7 225 5 
			 Total on honours programmes 1,305 54 2,485 54 
			  
			 Not on honours programme 1,110 46 2,080 46 
			  
			 Total overall 2,470 100 4,565 100 
			 (1) Some students qualify with an honours degree without being reported as gaining a foundation degree. These qualifiers are excluded from the analysis presented here.  Source: "Foundation degrees 2007/03" and "Foundation degrees 2008/16" reports published by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) 
		
	
	The available information on Foundation Degree (FD) qualifiers from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) who went on to study a first degree in the following academic year only is shown in table 2. The figures were derived from the destinations surveys, which collect information about the destinations of qualifiers six months after qualification. Figures for 2007/08 will be available in July 2009.
	The available information is limited to qualifiers who went on to study for a first degree in the year immediately following qualification: it does not cover those who chose to progress to a first degree at a later stage.
	For a number of reasons, it is difficult to draw reliable conclusions about the trends in the numbers of FD qualifiers who went on to study for a first degree in the following academic year. FDs were only introduced in 2001/02 and until 2004/05 there were relatively low numbers of qualifiers, which makes the figures inherently more volatile. It is also important to note that FD qualifiers tend to be older than qualifiers from other levels of study. Older qualifiers are less likely to go on to study for a first degree in the year immediately following qualification, because they are often already employed and tend to have other financial and domestic commitments. They may therefore be more likely to proceed to further study at a later date.
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of UK domiciled foundation degree qualifiers and the number of those who went on to study for a first degree in the following academic year by type of institution; UK higher education institutions—academic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			   2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 Foundation degree qualifiers of known category of destination 770 1,980 4,070 6,330 8,280 
			  O f which:  
			 Are studying a first degree in following academic year(1)  
			 Number 450 1,010 2,140 3,530 4,485 
			 Percentage 58.3 51.2 52.6 55.8 54.2 
			   
			  O f which:  
			 Are studying for a first degree, by type of institution  
			 Old(2) 30 135 165 265 395 
			 Percentage 6.9 13.2 7.7 7.4 8.8 
			   
			 New(3) 190 505 1,455 2,160 2,670 
			 Percentage 42.6 50.1 68.1 61.1 59.5 
			   
			 Other HEIs(4) 185 235 380 770 975 
			 Percentage 41.7 23.3 17.7 21.8 21.8 
			   
			 Other/unknown(5) 40 135 140 340 445 
			 Percentage 8.7 13.3 6.5 9.6 9.9 
			 (1) Covers students who are participating in (a) work and further study and (b) further study only, based on their situation six months after obtaining their qualification. Not all students provide information of their destination. (2) Old covers pre-1992 universities. (3) New covers post-1992 universities. (4) Other HEIs covers Higher Education colleges. (5) Other/unknown includes other UK institution; other non-UK institution; other public body in the UK; other private body in the UK; UK FE college; unknown and missing.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Percentages are calculated on unrounded figures.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)—the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE)

Foundation Degrees

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many foundation degrees were awarded in each employment sector in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Qualifiers from foundation degrees by employment sector are not available. The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for qualifiers from foundation degrees by subject of study have been provided as an alternative. The HESA student record only covers qualifiers from higher education institutions (HEIs).
	
		
			  Table 1: Qualifiers( 1)  from foundation degrees by subject of study, English higher education institutions, academic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			  Subject of study  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 Medicine and dentistry 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 65 270 405 775 1,090 
			 Biological sciences 45 85 110 235 385 
			 Veterinary science 10 0 0 0 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 20 145 255 425 575 
			 Physical sciences 25 30 50 80 110 
			 Mathematical sciences 5 0 0 0 0 
			 Computer science 20 125 370 680 730 
			 Engineering and technology 140 250 400 525 635 
			 Architecture, building and planning 15 20 50 165 235 
			 Social studies 70 350 700 720 1,030 
			 Law 0 10 15 40 100 
			 Business and administrative studies 220 385 745 1,110 1,445 
			 Mass communications and documentation 35 85 150 230 260 
			 Languages 0 20 15 15 20 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 0 0 0 10 70 
			 Creative arts and design 285 640 980 1,480 1,945 
			 Education 110 445 1,385 2,325 2,370 
			 Combined 0 0 0 5 0 
			 Total 1,060 2,855 5,635 8,820 11,000 
			 (1) Figures cover qualifiers from all domiciles and modes of study.  Notes: Figures are based on a HESA qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	As HESA data are limited to those studying at HEIs, the latest figures from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for entrants to foundation degrees by subject of study have been provided as these cover both English HEIs and English further education institutions (FECs). Figures for entrants have been provided as an alternative as figures for qualifiers are not available.
	
		
			  Table 2: Home foundation degree entrants by subject of study( 1) , English higher education institutions and further education colleges, academic years 2004/05 and 2005/06 
			  Subject area  2004/05  2005/06 
			 Medicine and dentistry 0 0 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 1,835 2,230 
			 Biological sciences 1,015 1,205 
			 Veterinary science 0 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 1,210 1,645 
			 Physical sciences 130 220 
			 Mathematical sciences 0 0 
			 Computer sciences 1,570 2,270 
			 Engineering and technology 1,360 1,385 
			 Architecture, building and planning 405 730 
			 Social studies 1,740 2,385 
			 Law 310 325 
			 Business, admin studies 2,885 4,085 
			 Mass comms, documentation 440 455 
			 Languages 15 0 
			 Historical, philosophical studies 170 265 
			 Creative arts and design 2,865 3,985 
			 Education 3,905 4,915 
			 Combined 715 845 
			
			 All subjects 20,570 26,940 
			 (1) A small number of entrants were recorded as studying medicine and dentistry. It has been assumed that these were coding errors and they have been included within the 'other' subgroup of 'subjects allied to medicine'.  Source: 'Foundation degrees 2007/03' and 'Foundation degrees 2008/16' reports published by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). 
		
	
	The academic subject classification (JACS) is not always well suited to describing foundation degrees. The new HESA record being collected for 2007-08 will facilitate the identification of courses and it is hoped that future reports will be able to describe foundation degree provision in ways that will be more recognisable to stakeholders.

Graduates: Employment

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with higher education institutions on levels of graduate employment in the current economic situation; and what representations he has received on proposals for  (a) reskilling and  (b) upskilling courses for graduates preparing for employment.

David Lammy: DIUS Ministers have met groups of university vice-chancellors, representatives of university careers services and graduate employers to discuss the prospects for graduate employment and the contribution of universities to helping individuals and businesses in the economic downturn. Universities' contributions to skills, training and workforce development are exemplified in the leaflet "Standing together—universities helping business through the downturn" available at:
	http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Publications/Documents/StandingTogether.pdf
	In addition, the Secretary of State announced plans to increase the availability of internship places as a contribution to improving the skills of graduates preparing for employment.

Graduates: Government Assistance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the Prime Minister's plans to introduce a Government- funded intern scheme for university graduates, whether the scheme will be restricted to or targeted at particular socio-economic or demographic groups of recent graduates.

David Lammy: As part of its overall package to support individuals through the economic downturn, the Government are developing proposals to increase the number of internships places for graduates who are unemployed next summer. We expect to offer graduates the opportunity to spend three months with an employer in either the private, public or third sector to apply their learning in the workplace and build the work-ready skills they will need for permanent employment. It is still early days and the details will be carefully worked out in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders.

Higher Education

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on the work of British higher education institutions in promoting transnational educational partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Transnational education—the delivery of the courses and qualifications of one country in another one—brings great benefit to the individual higher education institutions (HEIs) involved as well as to the country as a whole. It makes a major contribution to the high reputation enjoyed by UK higher education in other parts of the world. The overall value of transnational higher education to the UK is estimated to be some £200 million per annum. A recent study commissioned by the Department and published by Sheffield Hallam University in May 2008 found that our institutions are well-engaged in making their high quality programmes and expertise available in other countries. The report, entitled "Transnational education and higher education institutions: exploring patterns of HE institutional activity", is available on the research and analysis pages of the Department's website. As part of the second phase of the Prime Minister's Initiative for international education (PMI2), £4 million has been allocated in 2007-08 to supporting HEIs in developing international partnerships and expanding their successful transnational education strategies to further improve the visibility of UK higher education on the international stage. Some 189 projects are being supported which involve UK HE institutions collaborating with institutions overseas.

Higher Education Funding Council: Consultants

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much and what proportion of the Higher Education Funding Council for England's budget was spent on the employment of management consultants in the last financial year.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England spent £145,000 in 2007-08 on management consultancy activities. This represents 0.002 per cent. of its budget for that year.

Higher Education: Admissions

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he expects to meet the target of 50 per cent. participation rate in university education for young people aged 18 to 30 years.

David Lammy: Over half of young people from all social backgrounds aspire to go to university. We are helping them to fulfil that aspiration. The latest UCAS figures show that acceptances from England are up by 7.4 per cent. (22,764) on the same point last year and this year's figures are the highest ever. Increasing initial participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18 to 30 is challenging but is an essential investment in our future prosperity. The high level skills acquired through university education help individuals and businesses to innovate and thrive. Our interim target is 42 per cent. for 2010/11 and we achieved 40 per cent. in 2006/07.

Higher Education: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on which universities and higher education institutions have received over £50,000 from  (a) a donor and  (b) a foundation that had investments in the Madoff scheme;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on which universities and higher education institutions that had investments in the  (a) Fairfield Greenwich,  (b) Tremont Capital,  (c) Union Bancaire Privée,  (d) Access International,  (e) Santander,  (f) Gabriel Capital,  (g) Fortis,  (h) Kingsgate,  (i) Normura,  (j) Bank Medici,  (k) Picower,  (l) Union Bancaire,  (m) Aozora,  (n) Maxam,  (o) Dexia,  (p) HSBC,  (q) Pioneer AL,  (r) MB,  (s) BNP,  (t) Reliance,  (u) BBVA,  (v) Nativis,  (w) Reichmuth,  (x) credit mutual,  (y) EIM and  (z) Yeshim University hedge funds in 2008;
	(3)  what information his Department holds on which universities and higher education institutions had investments in the  (a) MAN,  (b) Unicredit,  (c) Hadassah,  (d) UBI,  (e) Great Eastern and  (f) fixed hedge funds in December 2008;
	(4)  what information his Department holds on which universities and higher education institutions invested in  (a) Bernard Madoff investment securities and  (b) hedge funds that invested in the Madoff scheme; and how much money was lost in each case.

David Lammy: Higher education institutions are responsible for their own banking and investment decisions and we have no data on the individual decisions they have taken. But the total level of annual income from all such investments is about 2 per cent. of the total income institutions now generate each year. The Higher Education Funding Council for England will keep the situation under review but has concluded that no institution is at risk as a result of any investment decisions it has taken. There is therefore no reason for students, prospective students, businesses or charities to reconsider their dealings with universities and other higher education institutions.

National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what relevant specialist qualifications the head of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research holds; where the post was advertised; how many persons applied for the post; how many were short-listed for interview; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) was established in 2004. It built upon and replaced the work of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Centre for Best Practice for Animals in Research. Dr. Vicky Robinson, the chief executive of the NC3Rs was appointed by the MRC as head of the MRC Centre in 2002 following a competitive appointment process. The position was advertised in the New Scientist and called for relevant postdoctoral research, medical or veterinary qualifications as well as previous research/clinical experience. Dr. Robinson holds an honours degree in Biology and a PhD in Development Biology, and prior to her appointment was a research scientist with considerable experience of the 3Rs, including having worked for the RSPCA Research Animals Department for three years.

Overseas Students: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of non-UK EU domiciled students who graduated from an English university in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007 have started repaying their student loan.

David Lammy: Non-UK EU students commencing courses in 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 are eligible for a tuition fee grant, but not eligible for a student loan. Those commencing courses in 2006/07, who are the first students to be eligible for a loan, would not be expected to graduate until summer 2009 at the earliest, so figures are therefore unavailable at present.

Research: Standards

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department proposes that multi-disciplinary research should be assessed in the Research Excellence Framework using the same procedures as mono-disciplinary research.

David Lammy: The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is being developed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in consultation with the higher education sector.
	No decisions have been made on methods of assessing multi- and mono-disciplinary research within the REF. HEFCE will announce any such decisions in due course.

Student Numbers: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what records he holds of the number of Newcastle-based further education students who are at university in the city.

David Lammy: It is not possible to answer the question precisely in the way it has been asked on the basis of the data which are collected centrally. However, there are now 48,470 higher education students at providers of higher education in Newcastle which represents an increase of 12,845 compared with 1997. Our policies are designed to help local students progress from further to higher education in order to increase and widen participation.

Students: Admissions

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of UK students admitted to universities in England left university before completing their course in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The latest available figures for the percentage of full-time first degree entrants not continuing in higher education after their first year are shown in table 1. These figures are also referred to as non-continuation rates. Comparable figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in June 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of full-time first degree entrants not continuing in HE after their first year, English higher education institutions, academic year 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 2001/02 8.7 
			 2002/03 9.1 
			 2003/04 9.1 
			 2004/05 8.4 
			 2005/06 8.3 
			  Source: Performance Indicators in HE, published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	The latest available figures for the percentage of full-time first degree starts expected to neither obtain an award nor transfer are shown in table 2. These figures are also known as non-completion rates. Comparable figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in June 2009.
	
		
			  Table 2: Percentage of full-time first degree starters expected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution, English higher education institutions, academic year 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 2001/02 13.8 
			 2002/03 13.9 
			 2003/04 14.4 
			 2004/05 13.8 
			 2005/06 13.9 
			  Source: Performance Indicators in HE, published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	We are maintaining very good completion rates for first degrees with the latest statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showing that the UK ranks 3rd of the 27 countries reporting data in this area. This has been achieved and maintained during a period when higher education has been opened up to both increased numbers and a greater diversity of students.

Students: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals progressed to higher education in the last year for which data are available.

David Lammy: Currently only one data point is available (for 19-year-olds in 2005/06) and this shows that, at a national level, 13.6 per cent. of young people who were in receipt of free school meals (FSM) at age 15 in 2001/02 had progressed to HE by age 19 by 2005/06. The equivalent figure for non-FSM pupils was 33.0 per cent., leaving a gap of 19.4 percentage points between the two groups.
	
		
			  Percentage of children aged 15 in maintained schools in England by FSM status in 2001/02, who attended an HEI in the UK (or studied HE in an FEI college in England) by the age of 19 in 2005/06 
			   Population  Number of children progressing to HE  Percentage 
			 Children in receipt of FSM 79,700 10,800 13.6 
			 Children not in receipt of FSM 475,200 156,700 33.0 
			 All children 556,600 167,900 30.2 
			 
			 Gap in participation by FSM status — — 19.4 
			  Note: Due to rounding (to the nearest 100 children), components may not sum to totals.  Source: Matched Higher Education and Statistics Agency (HESA), National Pupil Database (NPD) and Individual Learner Record 
		
	
	Work is currently in progress to obtain matched data that will allow DIUS analysts to extend the progression rate analysis to higher education entry by age 20 and this will be available in the next few months.

Students: Fees and Charges

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he has taken to establish a mechanism for annual review of the new funding regime for equivalent or lower qualifications.

David Lammy: The Secretary of State established when he finalised this policy in January 2008 that the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) should conduct an annual review on its impact. I wrote to HEFCE earlier this month setting out the terms of reference for the review. A copy of this letter has been placed in the House of Commons Library. HEFCE has started work on the review and plan to report later in the year.
	 Letter from David Lammy to Tim Melville-Ross (HEFCE), dated 7 January 2009:
	 Redistributing funding for equivalent and lower level qualifications
	1. In January 2008 the Secretary of State, John Denham, wrote to you about the Government's policy on the redistribution of institutional funding for students doing equivalent and lower level qualifications (ELQs). Your redistribution of ELQ funding began at the start of the 2008/09 academic year, and is then set to scale up over time. In his letter John said that the impact of the policy should be reviewed annually by the Council, and the Council should be prepared to act on the findings of these reviews to improve the implementation of the policy.
	2. We have always been aware that the scope of this first annual review, scheduled for December 2008, would inevitably be limited. We are only in the first year of the new arrangements, only a minority of the overall redeployment of funds have taken place and limited data regarding 2008-09 entry will be available at this point in time. One role of this initial investigation is therefore to provide a baseline for future reviews, but this should not rule out appropriate changes, if they are justified by the evidence.
	3. I am, however, also conscious that the economic climate has changed since John announced the Government's new policy on ELQ funding in September 2007. In an economic downturn it is more important than ever that individuals and businesses have access to high quality, affordable educational provision to improve competitiveness and to enable workers to enter growth areas in the labour market.
	4. As you review the implementation of ELQs, I would like the Council to consider whether there is evidence that any modification to the approach decided on earlier this year will help universities respond more effectively to the challenges of the economic downturn. The review should not, however, lead to a significant net increase in the overall number of ELQ students studying exempt or protected subjects because we will continue to give priority for public funding to those who have not yet obtained a first higher education qualification.
	5. As part of the review, I would like the Council to investigate whether there is any evidence available of changes in the flow of students as a result of ELQ policy. If there is concrete evidence of a large fall in demand at national level for a subject of national strategic importance, I would like the Council to advise us on:
	a. the scope to increase demand for that subject from those without an equivalent or higher level qualification
	b. whether there is adequate provision of Foundation Degrees—as the hallmark vocational qualification—in that subject
	c. the scope for labour market demand for graduates in that discipline to translate into increased employer funding to support students in that discipline; and only then
	d. whether there is a case for exempting entrants to the subject who have an ELQ from the general ELQ funding rule or protecting it in other ways.
	6. In any such cases, the Council should also advise on the scope for removing exempted or protected subjects from the list. We will then work with you to agree any changes to the subjects that are exempted or protected.
	7. It is, of course, for the Council to decide on the best way of conducting this review but I would like it to take an evidence-based approach. I imagine the review will exclude Strategically Important and Vulnerable Subjects because the health of these disciplines rightly falls under the remit of your new Strategically Important Subjects advisory group, chaired by Peter Saraga. And, given your additional support for SIVS, it would be difficult (if not impossible) to establish a baseline for the review that would be comparable with other subjects. You will, no doubt, work with Peter's group as and when it is necessary.
	8. I am very grateful to the HEFCE Board and its officers for their work on the implementation of the policy and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Council on this and other issues.

Students: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of writing off unpaid student loans has been in each year since such loans were introduced.

David Lammy: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Amount of public loan debt written off by financial year (UK and EU domiciled students) 
			  Financial year  Loan write off amount (£ million) 
			 2007-08 11.1 
			 2006-07 6.9 
			 2005-06 5.6 
			 2004-05 3.0 
			 2003-04 3.2 
			 2002-03 2.6 
			 2001-02 1.4 
			 2000-01 1.1 
			 1999-2000 1.2 
			 1998-99 0.9 
			 1997-98 1.0 
			 1996-97 0.9 
			 1995-96 0.5 
			 1994-95 0.3 
		
	
	There are two types of student loan—those taken out before 1 September 1998 ('mortgage style loans') and those taken out after 1 September 1998 (income contingent repayment loans).
	Excluding those in arrears, loans are written off when, in the case of those who entered higher education before 1 September 2006, the borrower reaches the age of 65; or, in the case of those who entered higher education from 1 September 2006, 25 years after their statutory repayment due date.
	Loans are also written off if a borrower dies, or receives a disability benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work.
	The significant rise on write offs for the financial year 2007-08 is due to £3.2 million of backdated write offs for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and bankruptcy, which the Student Loans Company did not have the functionality to process until that year. Since the Higher Education Act 2004 came into force, borrowers declaring themselves bankrupt have still been liable for their student loan debt.
	The steady rise in the amount of public loan debt written off each year also reflects the growing maturity of the student loan book. In other words, there has been a year-on-year increase in the total number of loans which have been issued since the schemes began.

Students: Finance

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his latest estimate is of the amount overpaid in student loan repayments in the last 12 month period for which data are available.

David Lammy: The data are not available in the form requested.
	On 31 March 2008, the loan accounts of 30,091 borrowers were in credit by over £5.00, at an average of £210 per borrower. These amounts are refunded with interest by the Student Loans Company when borrowers' accounts are reconciled at the end of the financial year.

Students: Finance

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent representations he has received on the difference between market interest rates and the interest rate charged on student loans; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 22 January 2009
	In the last three months, Members have tabled five questions on this subject. The Department has also received representations from members of the public and the press.
	The legislative provisions for income contingent repayment student loans require that the rate of interest must: (i) be no higher than is necessary to maintain the value of the loan in real terms; and (ii) not exceed 1 per cent. above the highest of the base rates of a specified group of banks(1) (the 'low interest cap').
	The interest rate is normally set every September to equal the retail prices index for the previous March—currently 3.8 per cent. Following the reduction in the Bank of England base rate by the Monetary Policy Committee on 4 December 2008, all the specified banks reduced their base rates to 2 per cent. and the low interest cap came into play. The Student Loans Company (SLC) therefore reduced the interest rate for income contingent loans from 3.8 per cent. to 3 per cent. with effect from 5 December 2008.
	Following the latest reduction in the Bank of England base rate on 8 January 2009, all the specified banks have now reduced their base rates to 1.5 per cent. The SLC therefore reduced the interest rate for income contingent loans from 3 per cent. to 2.5 per cent. with effect from 9 January 2009.
	The SLC published this information on their website and in national newspapers.
	The interest rate for loans taken out before 1998 (known as 'mortgage style loans') is not affected as these loans are governed by different legislation.
	(1) Bank of England; Bank of Scotland; Barclays Bank plc; Clydesdale Bank plc; Co-operative Bank plc; Courts and Co; HSBC Bank plc; Lloyds TSB Bank plc; Natwest Bank plc; the Royal Bank of Scotland plc.